Silicon Design Engineer

Job Title

Silicon Design Engineer

Role Summary

Lead and contribute to the design, integration, verification, and characterization of advanced silicon testchips supporting FPGA and ASIC products on leading-edge process technologies. Work spans RTL-to-GDS implementation, physical signoff, and post-silicon validation across cross-functional teams.

Experience Level

Mid-level (Mid-Career). Specific years not stated; role expects demonstrated experience delivering silicon and tapeouts.

Responsibilities

Deliver implementation, verification, and validation activities for digital ASIC/SoC designs from RTL handoff through tapeout and post-silicon bring-up.

• Develop and run timing-aware synthesis flows to produce optimized netlists.
• Lead physical design: floorplanning, power planning, placement, clock tree synthesis (CTS), routing, and timing closure to GDSII tapeout.
• Perform Static Timing Analysis (STA) to validate timing across PVT corners.
• Execute physical signoff analyses including IR drop, electromigration (EM), noise analysis, and DRC/LVS verification.
• Create verification plans, develop testbenches, and generate test patterns for silicon validation.
• Support post-silicon bring-up, lab debugging, and characterization activities.
• Coordinate cross-functional reviews with RTL, DFT, package, and foundry teams to drive tapeout readiness.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills, tools, and constraints.

• Proven hands-on experience in RTL-to-GDS implementation and delivering silicon on advanced nodes.
• Expertise in digital ASIC/SoC implementation and physical signoff flows (synthesis, placement, CTS, routing, timing closure).
• Experience with timing closure and STA (e.g., PrimeTime) and physical verification methodologies (IR drop, EM, DRC/LVS).
• Familiarity with industry implementation tools such as Synopsys Design Compiler, Cadence Genus/Innovus, or Synopsys Fusion Compiler.
• Experience with advanced process technologies (FinFET 7nm/5nm/3nm and emerging GAA nodes).
• Experience developing verification plans, testbenches, and supporting post-silicon validation and lab bring-up.
• Proficiency in Python, Tcl, and shell scripting for automation and flow development.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills; ability to work independently and across teams to close technical issues.
• Not eligible for visa sponsorship.

Nice-to-have:

• Hands-on experience with laboratory test equipment and silicon characterization.
• Knowledge of CMOS device physics, signal integrity, power integrity, and device reliability mechanisms.

Education Requirements

Preferably MS or PhD in Electrical & Electronics Engineering or physical sciences; a Bachelor's degree with relevant industry experience is acceptable. Equivalent industry experience is also acceptable.

About the Company

Company: Advanced Micro Devices

Headquarters: Sunnyvale, California, USA

Advanced Micro Devices, or AMD, is a global semiconductor company that designs and manufactures microprocessors, graphics processors, and related technologies for a variety of computing devices. Known for pushing the boundaries of innovation, AMD's mission is to deliver high-performance computing solutions for AI, data centers, gaming, and embedded applications. They foster a collaborative, inclusive culture focused on creativity and problem-solving, aiming to drive progress and excellence in technology.