Staff Physical Design Engineer

Job Title

Staff Physical Design Engineer

Role Summary

Lead block-level and top-level physical implementation of next-generation semiconductor chips. Work with cross-functional teams to convert netlists into manufacturable silicon meeting aggressive timing, power, and area targets.

This role focuses on floor-planning, placement, CTS, routing, timing closure, power integrity (EM/IR), and foundry tapeout execution using industry-standard EDA tools.

Experience Level

Senior - 10–15 years of dedicated physical design experience.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities span full physical implementation flow from netlist to tapeout and include automation and verification tasks.

• Drive floor-planning, placement, clock tree synthesis (CTS), and routing at block and top levels.
• Lead timing closure efforts to meet aggressive timing, power, and area (PPA) targets.
• Perform power-grid verification and resolve electromigration (EM) / IR drop issues.
• Develop and maintain automation scripts (Tcl/Python) to streamline flows and methodologies.
• Collaborate with physical verification and foundry teams to ensure DRC/LVS/PERC compliance and successful tapeout.
• Set up and evaluate physical design flows and methodologies for advanced process nodes.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience; listed concisely.

• Must-have: Extensive experience with EDA implementation flows and Cadence toolset.
• Must-have: Deep knowledge of static timing analysis (STA) and advanced timing-closure techniques.
• Must-have: Proven track record in top-level and block-level physical design, including hierarchical floorplanning.
• Must-have: Proficiency in low-power design techniques and debugging, plus EM/IR analysis and resolution.
• Must-have: Strong scripting skills (Tcl and/or Python) for flow automation.
• Must-have: Familiarity with physical verification requirements and routing considerations for advanced process nodes.
• Nice-to-have: Experience with PDK management and foundry tapeout processes.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field.

About the Company

Company: EnCharge AI

EnCharge AI develops advanced AI hardware and software systems for edge-to-cloud computing, focusing on in-memory computing technology to deliver high compute efficiency and density with low power consumption. Founded in 2022, the company targets power-, energy-, and space-constrained applications with integrated hardware architectures and software stacks for scalable, reliable AI deployment.