Staff SOC Physical Design Engineer
QualcommJob Title
Staff SOC Physical Design Engineer
Role Summary
Lead the physical design flow for system-on-chip (SoC) products, focusing on power and performance tradeoffs. Work across teams to deliver floorplanning, clock tree synthesis, place-and-route, PDN design, timing closure and physical verification to support tapeout.
Contribute to methodology, modeling and verification efforts for high-speed DDR, graphics and related subsystems, and provide schedule and technical leadership to drive projects to signoff.
Experience Level
Senior-level (staff). The posting references experience expectations for an advanced engineering role; the original listing pairs a Master's degree with three years of related experience.
Responsibilities
Primary responsibilities include:
- Lead and execute SoC physical design tasks across the full flow: floorplan, CTS, place-and-route, and signoff.
- Design and analyze power delivery networks (PDN) and optimize for target power utilization.
- Perform timing analysis and drive timing closure to meet performance targets.
- Implement and run physical verification checks (LVS, DRC, DFM/DFY) at block and chip levels.
- Model and optimize high-speed interfaces (e.g., DDR) and graphics-related blocks as they impact power and performance.
- Provide schedules, coordinate cross-functional engineering efforts, participate in design reviews, and drive to tapeout signoff.
- Develop and improve physical design methodology and automation to support project goals.
Requirements
Must-have technical skills and experience:
- Proven experience with SoC physical design flows and methodologies.
- Hands-on experience with floorplanning, CTS, place-and-route, PDN analysis, and timing closure.
- Experience performing physical verification checks (LVS, DRC, DFM/DFY) at chip and block levels.
- Experience with high-speed interface design or optimization (e.g., DDR, graphics subsystems).
- Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams, produce schedules, and drive projects to tapeout.
- Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to synthesize ambiguous or conflicting requirements.
Education Requirements
Accepts a Master’s degree (or foreign equivalent) in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science or a related field plus three years of related experience. The posting implies equivalent practical experience may be considered.
About the Company
Company: Qualcomm
Headquarters: San Diego, California, United States
Qualcomm is a global leader in semiconductor and telecommunications equipment, specializing in mobile technologies and innovations. Known for its Adreno GPUs, the company provides solutions enabling advancements in mobile gaming, AI, VR/AR, and autonomous driving. Qualcomm's cutting-edge technology and commitment to high-performance, power-efficient designs drive the evolution of mobile graphics and connectivity worldwide.
