Senior Physical Design Engineer

Job Title

Senior Physical Design Engineer

Role Summary

Join Microsoft Silicon, Cloud Hardware, and Infrastructure Engineering (SCHIE) on the AISIE team to drive physical design for cloud infrastructure ASICs. The role focuses on block and sub-chip physical implementation, flow automation, tool and technology evaluation, and delivering production-quality silicon for Microsoft’s cloud platforms.

Experience Level

Senior — typically aligned with 5+ years of technical engineering experience (the posting specifies degree-plus-experience options or equivalent experience).

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include leading physical implementation activities, improving flows and methodology, and supporting program delivery.

• Lead and execute physical design at block and sub-chip levels.
• Develop, automate, and improve physical design flows and methodologies.
• Evaluate and recommend technology nodes, IP, EDA tools, and vendor solutions.
• Provide concise status updates on progress, risks, and mitigation plans to management.
• Operate with minimal supervision and maintain attention to detail.
• Support program needs and travel occasionally (less than 25%).
• Execute implementation and signoff phases, including:
  • Floorplanning
  • Synthesis
  • Placement and optimization
  • Clock tree synthesis (CTS) and custom clocking
  • Routing
  • Static timing analysis (STA)
  • Physical verification
  • Formal equivalency
  • Power optimization and efficiency analysis
  • IR-drop and electromigration (EM) analysis

Requirements

Key technical and compliance requirements for successful candidates.

• Must-have: Hands-on experience with physical design flows, EDA tools, and block/subsystem implementation and signoff.
• Must-have: Ability to work independently, communicate status/risks, and coordinate with program teams.
• Must-have: Ability to meet Microsoft security screening and export-control eligibility requirements; successful candidates must provide proof of citizenship or lawful status when required.
• Must-have: Willingness to work on-site three days per week as part of the hybrid schedule.
• Nice-to-have: Experience with tapeouts of complex ASICs in leading-edge process nodes and production signoff.

Education Requirements

Posting specifies one of: Doctorate (PhD) in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field plus 1+ year technical experience; Master's degree in those fields plus 4+ years experience; Bachelor's degree in those fields plus 5+ years experience; or equivalent practical experience.

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.