Staff Physical Design Engineer
TenstorrentJob Title
Staff Physical Design Engineer
Role Summary
Implement SOC/ASIC physical design for high-performance CPU and AI/ML architectures. Own the implementation flow from synthesis through place-and-route to tapeout, working with architecture, RTL, IP, and verification teams to optimize performance, power, and area.
This position is hybrid, based out of Austin, TX; Santa Clara, CA; or Fort Collins, CO.
Experience Level
Senior (Staff). Typically 7+ years of relevant physical design experience; candidates at multiple levels may be considered and will be leveled during interviews.
Responsibilities
Primary responsibilities include:
- Lead end-to-end physical implementation from synthesis to tapeout, including place-and-route and ECOs.
- Perform static timing analysis and drive timing closure across design hierarchies.
- Optimize power, performance, and area through floorplanning, placement, routing, buffering, and gate sizing.
- Develop and maintain automation and scripts to support flows and signoff.
- Translate architectural requirements into physical design constraints and deliverables.
- Collaborate with RTL, architecture, and verification teams to debug and resolve complex design issues.
- Participate in signoff activities including power, signal integrity, and reliability checks.
Requirements
Must-have technical skills and experience:
- Proven hands-on experience with synthesis, place-and-route, and timing closure on taped-out designs.
- Expertise with industry-standard tools (e.g., Innovus, PrimeTime, RedHawk).
- Strong scripting skills in Tcl, Perl, and/or Python for flow automation.
- Deep understanding of advanced-node challenges and low-power design techniques (power gating, multi-Vt, voltage scaling).
- Experience driving physical design requirements from early architecture through final signoff.
Nice-to-have:
- Experience in power grid design and EMIR.
- Prior work on AI accelerators or high-performance CPU designs.
Education Requirements
Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science (BS/MS/PhD in EE/ECE/CE/CS).
About the Company
Company: Tenstorrent
Headquarters: Austin, Texas, United States
Tenstorrent is a technology company focused on designing innovative computing solutions. They are known for their expertise in the development of advanced hardware, including ASICs and SoCs, aimed at enhancing performance and efficiency in various applications.
