Staff Physical Design Engineer
TenstorrentJob Title
Staff Physical Design Engineer
Role Summary
Implement and deliver high-performance ASIC blocks for Tenstorrent's CPUs and AI/ML architectures. Own the physical implementation flow from synthesis through placement & routing to signoff, working with RTL, architecture, and IP teams to meet performance, power, and area targets.
This is a hybrid role based out of Austin, TX; Santa Clara, CA; or Fort Collins, CO. Employment may be contingent on eligibility to access U.S. export-controlled technology.
Experience Level
Senior / Staff level (title indicates senior). The posting notes candidates at various experience levels may be considered during interview calibration.
Responsibilities
Primary responsibilities include end-to-end physical implementation and collaboration across teams:
- Own synthesis, placement & routing, timing closure, and signoff for assigned blocks or chips.
- Optimize performance, power, and area (PPA) through implementation techniques and RTL collaboration.
- Develop and drive physical design requirements from early architecture through final tapeout.
- Debug complex issues across hierarchical designs and tooling flows.
- Collaborate with architecture, RTL, and IP teams to integrate implementation constraints and fixes.
Requirements
Key technical must-haves and preferred skills.
- Must-have: Proven hands-on experience with synthesis, place & route, timing closure on taped-out designs.
- Must-have: Experience with industry tools such as Cadence Innovus, Synopsys PrimeTime, and Siemens/Ansys RedHawk (or equivalent).
- Must-have: Strong scripting skills (Tcl, Perl, Python) for flow automation and debug.
- Must-have: Deep understanding of advanced-node implementation challenges and low-power techniques (power gating, multi-Vt, voltage scaling).
- Must-have: Experience driving physical design requirements through to signoff.
- Nice-to-have: Power grid design and EM/IR analysis experience.
Education Requirements
BS, MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science (listed in the posting as 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.
