Staff / Senior Staff CAD & Methodology Engineer (Digital Implementation & Signoff)
EnCharge AIJob Title
Staff / Senior Staff CAD & Methodology Engineer (Digital Implementation & Signoff)
Role Summary
Lead development and optimization of RTL-to-GDSII and timing signoff flows, with primary ownership of Cadence Innovus (implementation) and Cadence Tempus (signoff). Work closely with Physical Design and STA leads to remove bottlenecks, automate manual tasks, and improve turnaround for advanced-node AI accelerator tapeouts.
Contribute technical direction, vendor liaison, and mentorship to the PD and timing teams in a fast-paced startup environment.
Experience Level
Senior — 9 to 14 years of industry experience in ASIC/SoC physical design with a focus on CAD, tools/flows/methodology, or flow automation.
Responsibilities
Primary responsibilities include ownership of implementation and signoff flows, automation, and tool/vendor interaction.
- Architect, develop, and maintain a robust, scalable RTL-to-GDSII physical design and signoff flow optimized for AI accelerators.
- Develop and optimize Innovus methodologies: floorplanning, placement, CTS, routing, and power-grid implementation.
- Define and own Tempus-based STA and timing signoff methodology, including DMSA, OCV strategies, and automated ECO flows.
- Reduce turnaround time by creating Python/Tcl automation, database parsers, and custom utilities to speed tool runtime and debugging.
- Serve as primary technical liaison with Cadence: drive evaluations, beta testing, and resolution of tool issues affecting flow stability.
- Document methodologies and mentor junior engineers; act as the final escalation point for flow-related issues.
Requirements
Must-have technical skills and experience to perform the role.
- 9+ years industry experience in ASIC/SoC physical design with primary focus on CAD/TFM or flow automation (9–14 years preferred).
- Proven, production-level expertise with Cadence Innovus (implementation) and Cadence Tempus (signoff STA).
- Strong understanding of tool internals and database access (e.g., dbGet) and advanced tool configuration.
- Expert scripting skills in Tcl and Python; experience with shell scripting, Makefile generation, and version control (Git or Perforce).
- Deep knowledge of advanced-node physical design issues (DRC, cross-talk, EM, IR drop) and STA theory.
- Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced startup environment and iterate flows rapidly as architecture evolves.
Nice-to-have:
- Experience implementing Distributed Multi-Scenario Analysis (DMSA), advanced OCV methods, and automated Tempus ECO flows.
- Prior experience liaising with EDA vendors and participating in tool beta programs or evaluations.
Education Requirements
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related discipline.
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.
