VLSI Design Optimization Engineer

Job Title

VLSI Design Optimization Engineer

Role Summary

Develop and productize automatic VLSI design and optimization tools. The role works with internal and cross-functional teams to capture foundry process and design requirements, identify DTCO trade-offs, and turn prototypes into production-grade design automation software.

Primary focus areas include constraint solving, theorem proving concepts, and VLSI CAD-aware optimization to improve design efficiency and performance.

Experience Level

Mid-level. No specific years-of-experience guidance provided.

Responsibilities

Key responsibilities include design, implementation and collaboration tasks to produce VLSI design automation solutions.

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to understand foundry process constraints and VLSI design requirements and to resolve DTCO trade-offs.
• Implement optimization and constraint-solving tools using techniques such as ILP, SAT, SMT and concepts from theorem proving and programming languages.
• Develop, optimize and productionize VLSI design automation software and prototypes into scalable tools.
• Deliver on large, cross-functional projects with evolving requirements and aggressive timelines.

Requirements

Core technical skills and environment familiarity expected. Education requirements are listed separately below.

• Must-have: Practical VLSI CAD or VLSI design automation experience.
• Must-have: Proficiency in Python or a similar programming language.
• Must-have: Experience working in Linux and job-scheduling environments (LSF or similar).
• Must-have: Experience applying optimization and constraint-solving techniques in software (e.g., ILP, SAT, SMT).
• Nice-to-have: Experience developing or modifying constraint solvers and applied mathematics background (network flow, optimization).
• Nice-to-have: Basic understanding of MOSFET device behavior, CMOS layout, circuit fundamentals, and general VLSI design principles.
• Nice-to-have: Demonstrated delivery of large cross-functional projects in a fast-paced or agile environment.

Education Requirements

Basic/Minimum: Bachelor's degree in Science, Engineering, or a related field. Preferred/Basic Qualifications: Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, or a related field with VLSI CAD experience. The posting references "related field" where applicable.

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.