Senior Physical Design Engineer

Job Title

Senior Physical Design Engineer

Role Summary

Join Microsoft’s Compute Silicon & Manufacturing Engineering (CSME) within Silicon, Cloud Hardware, and Infrastructure Engineering (SCHIE) to deliver physical design for large system-on-chip (SoC) blocks used in Microsoft cloud infrastructure. The role is focused on RTL-to-GDS implementation, clock construction, timing and physical signoff, and improving PD tools and methodologies.

This is a hands-on individual contributor role working with CAD, RTL/design, architecture, power & performance, technology, and manufacturing partners to achieve production-quality silicon delivery.

Experience Level

Senior - aligned with a senior IC/physical design engineer. The posting prefers candidates with 7+ years of semiconductor design or physical design experience; specific experience expectations vary by degree level (see Education Requirements).

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities include end-to-end physical design execution and cross-functional coordination to deliver silicon.

• Drive RTL-to-GDS execution from synthesis through place-and-route and signoff (timing, physical verification, EMIR, formal equivalence, low-power verification).
• Lead clock construction and clock tree synthesis (CTS) for large designs and evaluate clock strategies for high-speed designs.
• Optimize SoC blocks through methodology exploration and data-driven improvements to tools, flows, and methodologies.
• Coordinate with CAD, RTL/Design, DFT, Architecture, Power & Performance, Technology teams, and external partners.
• Own complete PD execution of medium to large SoC partitions and drive fixes with PD flow/CAD and methodology teams.
• Communicate project status and planning clearly; foster collaboration across teams.
• Participate in production silicon tape-outs in advanced foundry nodes and troubleshoot PPA (power, performance, area) trade-offs.
• Work on-site an expected cadence of three days per week and travel less than 25% as required.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills, clearances, and working style.

• Proven hands-on physical design expertise: synthesis, floorplanning, place-and-route, extraction, static timing analysis, and physical verification.
• Deep experience in clock construction, CTS, and clocking strategies for high-speed designs.
• Signoff experience across timing, physical verification, EMIR, formal equivalence checks, and low-power verification.
• Experience with production tape-outs in advanced process nodes and low-power SoC methodology.
• Strong problem-solving and data analysis skills; ability to influence tools and flows through metrics and engineering judgment.
• Effective communicator and collaborator across multi-disciplinary teams; able to act as individual contributor and technical owner.
• Ability to meet Microsoft and customer security screening requirements; see Education Requirements for citizenship/verification details.

Education Requirements

The posting specifies degree-and-experience combinations for minimum qualifications: Doctorate (PhD) in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field with 1+ year of technical engineering experience; OR Master’s degree in a related field with 4+ years of technical engineering experience; OR Bachelor’s degree in a related field with 5+ years of technical engineering experience; OR equivalent practical experience. Preferred items mention BS/MS in Electrical or Computer Engineering and a preference for 7+ years of semiconductor design experience. The role requires proof of citizenship or lawful permanent residency (or equivalent protected status) for export-controlled information access; lawful permanent residents, refugees, and asylees may verify status with appropriate documents.

About the Company

Company: Microsoft

Headquarters: Redmond, Washington, United States

Microsoft is a global technology company that develops and sells software, services, devices, and solutions. Known for its Windows operating system, Office suite, and Azure cloud platform, Microsoft aims to empower individuals and organizations around the world to achieve more. The company fosters a culture of innovation and inclusion, focusing on delivering trusted experiences to customers and partners globally.