Staff Physical Design Engineer

Job Title

Staff Physical Design Engineer

Role Summary

Lead physical design engineering for advanced SoCs on the Hyderabad Silicon Engineering team. Responsible for end-to-end implementation from RTL to GDSII, driving power/performance/area targets, sign-off readiness, and mentoring engineers.

Experience Level

Senior — typically requires 8+ years of ASIC physical design experience.

Responsibilities

Accountable for delivering physical implementation and improving methodology and automation:

• Lead and execute end-to-end physical design flow for complex SoCs and IP blocks (RTL handoff to GDSII).
• Define and drive strategies for floorplanning, CTS, placement, routing, and timing closure.
• Own and optimize PPA (Power, Performance, Area) metrics for assigned designs.
• Manage design constraints, synthesis strategies, and sign-off (timing, IR drop, EM, DRC/LVS).
• Collaborate with RTL, DFT, verification, and packaging teams for integration.
• Drive EDA tool automation and methodology improvements for efficiency and scalability.
• Mentor and guide junior engineers to foster technical growth.
• Coordinate with foundries and vendors on process bring-up, PDK updates, and tape-out readiness.

Requirements

Must-have skills and experience:

• 8+ years of ASIC physical design experience.
• Hands-on experience with Synopsys (ICC2, Fusion Compiler, PrimeTime), Cadence (Innovus, Tempus), or equivalent tools.
• Proven background in timing analysis, low-power methodologies, and ECO flows.
• Deep understanding of architecture-to-GDSII flow and sign-off requirements (timing, IR drop, EM, DRC/LVS).
• Strong problem-solving, leadership, and communication skills.

Nice-to-have:

• Chip-level integration and hierarchical design methodology experience.
• Knowledge of UPF/CPF, power gating, DVFS, and multi-voltage/multi-clock domains.
• Familiarity with DFT, STA, and physical verification methodologies.
• Experience in customer-facing or cross-site collaboration.

Education Requirements

B.E./B.Tech or M.E./M.Tech in Electrical Engineering, VLSI, or a related field.

About the Company

Company: Silicon Labs

Headquarters: Austin, Texas, USA

Silicon Labs is a leading innovator in low-power wireless connectivity, creating embedded technology that connects devices to improve lives. With a focus on advanced edge connectivity applications, the company provides device makers with cutting-edge solutions and support. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Silicon Labs operates in over 16 countries, serving markets such as smart home, industrial IoT, and smart cities.