VLSI Software Engineer

Job Title

VLSI Software Engineer

Role Summary

Develop and maintain internal CAD/EDA software used by Snapdragon physical design and timing teams. Work on tools for top-level chip floorplanning, RTL-module placement and datapath routing, and on infrastructure that supports design regression and automation.

Collaborate with Snapdragon physical-design, timing/PDN teams and global CAD domain experts to define features, implement software, and support production designs.

Experience Level

Mid-level. Preferred 1–4 years of software development experience; Python experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include:

• Design, implement, and maintain internal tools for top-level floorplanning, RTL module placement and datapath routing.
• Add features to existing tools: web GUI components, design-collateral parsers, and high-level APIs.
• Build and extend design-flow infrastructure for regression automation and generation/extraction of standalone testcases.
• Participate in project and software specification development and produce software architecture artifacts (e.g., UML diagrams).
• Follow coding best practices: class design, linting, unit tests (including GenAI-related tests), CI/CD processes, and documentation.
• Provide production support to Snapdragon design teams through ticket resolution and targeted code fixes.

Requirements

Key requirements and desirable skills.

• Must-have: Strong programming skills in Python or C++ (Python preferred); experience building production software.
• Must-have: Experience with source control and development platforms such as git, GitLab or GitHub; familiarity with CI/CD workflows and unit testing.
• Must-have: Competence writing parsers/APIs, maintaining codebases, and producing clear documentation and code reviews.
• Must-have: Ability to work closely with VLSI/physical-design engineers and CAD teams to translate design requirements into software.
• Nice-to-have: JavaScript/webapp GUI development experience; prior VLSI CAD domain experience (floorplanning, synthesis, place-and-route, timing analysis).
• Nice-to-have: Experience with GenAI/ML infrastructure for CAD, and familiarity with Physical Aware Tiling or similar tools.
• Nice-to-have: Experience producing software architecture artifacts (UML) and working in globally distributed CAD teams.

Education Requirements

Minimum: Bachelor's degree in Science, Engineering, or a related field. Preferred: Master's degree or PhD in Computer Science, Compute Engineering, or a related field.

For more information about the company: Qualcomm Careers.

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.