Physical Design Engineer, Senior to Staff Level

Company: Qualcomm Semiconductor Limited Job Area: Engineering Group, Engineering Group > Systems Engineering General Summary: The Physical Design Engineer is responsible for the complete physical implementation of complex digital integrated circuits (ASICs/SoCs) from netlist to GDSII. This role involves turning logical circuit designs into physical layouts that meet timing, power, area, and reliability constraints. Key Responsibilities • Netlist-to-GDSII Implementation: Execute the full physical design flow including Floorplanning, Power Planning, Placement, Clock Tree Synthesis (CTS), and Routing. • Timing Analysis & Closure: Perform Static Timing Analysis (STA) to identify and fix setup/hold violations across various process corners and modes (PVT). • Physical Verification: Run and resolve Design Rule Checks (DRC), Layout vs. Schematic (LVS), and Electrical Rule Checks (ERC) to ensure manufacturability. • Power Optimization: Implement low-power design techniques (multi-voltage, power gating) and analyze IR drop/EM (Electromigration). • Signal Integrity: Analyze and mitigate crosstalk, noise, and signal integrity issues. • Flow Automation: Develop and maintain scripts (Tcl, Shell, Perl, Makefile) to automate design flows and improve efficiency. Technical Skills & Tools EDA Tools, proficiency with industry-standard tools such as • Synopsys: ICC2, Fusion Compiler, PrimeTime, StarRC, Redhawk. • Siemens/Mentor: Calibre (for DRC/LVS/PERC). Domain Knowledge • Deep understanding of CMOS digital circuit design, standard cell libraries, and memory macros. • Knowledge of lower geometry technology nodes (e.g., 12nm, 7nm, 5nm) and their specific physical constraints. Scripting • Strong scripting skills in Tcl, Shell, Makefile or Perl for tool customization and data parsing. Qualifications • Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field. • Experience: Experience ranges around 5-8 years, with responsibility for block-level or full-chip ownership. Minimum Qualifications: • Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 2+ years of Systems Engineering or related work experience. OR Master's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 1+ year of Systems Engineering or related work experience. OR PhD in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field. Applicants: Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer. If you are an individual with a disability and need an accommodation during the application/hiring process, rest assured that Qualcomm is committed to providing an accessible process. You may e-mail disability-accomodations@qualcomm.com or call Qualcomm's toll-free number found here. Upon request, Qualcomm will provide reasonable accommodations to support individuals with disabilities to be able participate in the hiring process. Qualcomm is also committed to making our workplace accessible for individuals with disabilities. (Keep in mind that this email address is used to provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. We will not respond here to requests for updates on applications or resume inquiries). Qualcomm expects its employees to abide by all applicable policies and procedures, including but not limited to security and other requirements regarding protection of Company confidential information and other confidential and/or proprietary information, to the extent those requirements are permissible under applicable law. To all Staffing and Recruiting Agencies: Our Careers Site is only for individuals seeking a job at Qualcomm. Staffing and recruiting agencies and individuals being represented by an agency are not authorized to use this site or to submit profiles, applications or resumes, and any such submissions will be considered unsolicited. Qualcomm does not accept unsolicited resumes or applications from agencies. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, Qualcomm employees or any other company location. Qualcomm is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes/applications. If you would like more information about this role, please contact Qualcomm Careers.