Senior SoC Physical Design Engineer
QualcommJob Title
Senior SoC Physical Design Engineer
Role Summary
Design and implement physical design solutions for complex SoC/subsystem projects. Work on place-and-route, timing closure, sign-off optimization, low-power implementation, IP integration and PPA delivery within advanced process nodes.
Join a hardware engineering team collaborating with RTL, timing, power, verification and CAD teams to meet performance, power and area targets.
Experience Level
Senior - experienced individual contributor. Role expects multi-year experience in SoC physical design; see Education Requirements for employer experience guidance tied to academic level.
Responsibilities
Primary responsibilities focused on SoC physical implementation and sign-off.
- Lead synthesis, place-and-route (PnR) and sign-off convergence activities, including STA and sign-off optimizations.
- Implement and validate low-power techniques (UPF, multi-voltage domains, power gating) during implementation.
- Integrate IP blocks, resolve integration issues and drive PPA (performance, power, area) targets.
- Work on advanced process nodes, manage timing closure and manufacturability trade-offs.
- Develop and maintain automation/scripts to improve implementation efficiency and PPA outcomes.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams (RTL, CAD, verification, tapeout) to achieve project milestones.
Requirements
Must-have technical skills and domain experience.
- 6+ years of hardware engineering or physical design experience (role-level expectation).
- Hands-on experience with synthesis, PnR flows, STA and sign-off optimization for complex SoCs.
- Experience meeting demanding PPA targets for complex subsystems and SoCs; strong placement, routing and IP integration skills.
- Practical experience implementing low-power design techniques (UPF, multi-voltage, power gating).
- Familiarity with ASIC physical-design methodologies, device physics considerations and advanced process node challenges.
- Proven ability to create or use automation to improve physical implementation and yield.
Education Requirements
Posting specifies degree-based options: Bachelor's, Master’s or PhD in Computer Science, Electrical/Electronics Engineering or a related engineering field. Experience guidance in the posting ties to degree level: Bachelor's ~6+ years, Master’s ~5+ years, PhD ~4+ years. (The posting also includes a separate note mentioning a Bachelor's with 2–4 years of physical-design experience for similar roles.)
About the Company
Company: Qualcomm
Headquarters: San Diego, California, United States
Qualcomm is a global leader in semiconductor and telecommunications equipment, specializing in mobile technologies and innovations. Known for its Adreno GPUs, the company provides solutions enabling advancements in mobile gaming, AI, VR/AR, and autonomous driving. Qualcomm's cutting-edge technology and commitment to high-performance, power-efficient designs drive the evolution of mobile graphics and connectivity worldwide.
