Sr. Principal Engineer, Physical Design

Job Title

Sr. Principal Engineer, Physical Design

Role Summary

Lead implementation of physical design for custom IP and SoC designs from RTL to GDS; drive methodology and flow automation to optimize power, performance, and area. Serve as a technical leader and mentor within Intel's Data Center Group, influencing technical direction and delivering production-ready solutions.

Contribute to technical strategy, develop team capability, and ensure signoff-quality designs across advanced processes.

Experience Level

Senior — see Education Requirements for years-of-experience guidance (typical: B.S.+12, M.S.+8, Ph.D.+6 in physical design or related disciplines).

Responsibilities

Core responsibilities include implementation, verification, methodology development, and cross-team leadership.

• Perform physical implementation: synthesis, place & route, clock tree synthesis, floorplanning, and timing closure.
• Lead signoff verification: static timing analysis, formal equivalence checking, layout verification, electrical rule checking, and power integrity analysis.
• Analyze results, address violations, and recommend architectural or design changes.
• Develop and optimize physical design methodologies and automation to improve power, frequency, and area.
• Apply structural and physical design techniques across multiple power domains, DFT, and advanced process nodes.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to drive design innovation and disciplined execution.
• Mentor technical leaders and foster community growth within the organization.
• Define and execute technical strategy aligned with business objectives and industry best practices.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and capabilities; preferred items listed separately.

• Deep expertise in physical design methodologies and flows (synthesis, P&R, CTS, STA, floorplanning).
• Proficiency with industry-standard EDA tools for implementation and verification.
• Strong knowledge of static and dynamic power integrity, reliability verification, and electrical rule checking.
• Proven experience optimizing designs for power, performance, and area in advanced semiconductor processes.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze and resolve complex design challenges and deliver disciplined execution.
• Ability to collaborate across teams and influence technical direction.
• Must be able to pass an extended background investigation (Position of Trust).

Preferred:

• Experience mentoring and developing technical talent.
• Proven track record of driving technical strategy and influencing organizations.
• Strong communication and cross-functional leadership skills.

Education Requirements

Minimum qualifications specify one of: Bachelor's (BS) plus 12+ years related experience, Master's (MS) plus 8+ years, or PhD plus 6+ years in physical design or related technical disciplines. Degrees in electrical/computer engineering, computer science, or closely related fields are typical.

About the Company

Company: Intel Corporation

Headquarters: Santa Clara, California, USA

Intel Corporation is a leading multinational technology company known for its innovative semiconductor solutions, including microprocessors, artificial intelligence accelerators, and memory products. Headquartered in the United States, Intel focuses on cutting-edge technology and a collaborative working environment, driving advancements in semiconductor manufacturing to meet global demands. The company emphasizes professional development and aims to shape the future of technology through groundbreaking designs.