Senior Engineer

Ignite Next GmbH; Zürich; Hybrid; CHF 120.000 - 180.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

Ignite Next GmbH in Zürich seeks a Backend (Physical Design & Timing) specialist with 5+ years of ASIC experience to own timing closure for complex IP and SoC blocks, integrating our ComputeRAM macros into the digital backend flow.

You will drive Static Timing Analysis across corners, shape constraints, and lead ECO convergence, coordinating with synthesis, P&R, and clock-tree teams to deliver robust clocks and clean sign-off on advanced nodes.

Qualifikationen

• 5+ years in ASIC physical design with timing closure focus.
• Hands-on STA tools experience across clocking and multi-clock designs.
• Experience with synthesis, P&R, and ECOs for timing closure.
• Strong scripting to automate timing analysis and reporting.
• Collaborative with front-end, backend, and verification teams.

Aufgaben

• Build, refine, and maintain timing constraints for blocks and top-level designs, including clocks, generated clocks, I/O timing, and exceptions.
• Run STA across all relevant corners and modes, close setup and hold, and manage variation and correlation from synthesis to P&R to sign-off.
• Guide clock-tree strategy and debugging with clear targets for skew, jitter, and latency; collaborate with P&R on placement, buffering, and routing choices that affect timing.
• Lead timing and functional ECOs, track impacts, and land repeatable closure with minimal overhead.
• Support gate-level verification needs with timing data, and ensure timing/constraints remain consistent with sign-off views.
• Automate timing checks, report generation, and regressions using scripting, and contribute checklists and documentation that others can reuse.

Kenntnisse

STA tooling & timing closure

Scripting for automation

Cross-team collaboration

Clocking & timing expertise

Tools

Synthesis tools

Place-and-Route (P&R)

Static Timing Analysis (STA) tools

Clock-tree synthesis

Jobbeschreibung

Backend (Physical Design & Timing)

Role

Location: Zürich, Switzerland
Seniority: 5+ years (physical design with a timing focus)

Own timing closure and sign-off for complex IP and SoC blocks that integrate our full-custom ComputeRAM® macros. You will drive Static Timing Analysis across corners and modes, shape clean constraints, partner closely with synthesis, place-and-route, and clock-tree teams, and lead ECO loops to convergence. Your work ensures robust clocks, predictable closure, and high-quality sign-off on modern nodes. You will work closely with our full-custom team to integrate our custom IPs into the traditional digital backend flow.

What you’ll do

• Build, refine, and maintain timing constraints for blocks and top-level designs, including clocks, generated clocks, I/O timing, and exceptions.
• Run STA across all relevant corners and modes, close setup and hold, and manage variation and correlation from synthesis to P&R to sign-off.
• Guide clock-tree strategy and debugging with clear targets for skew, jitter, and latency; collaborate with P&R on placement, buffering, and routing choices that affect timing.
• Lead timing and functional ECOs, track impacts, and land repeatable closure with minimal overhead.
• Support gate-level verification needs with timing data, and ensure timing/constraints remain consistent with sign-off views.
• Automate timing checks, report generation, and regressions using scripting, and contribute checklists and documentation that others can reuse.

Outcomes (first 18 months)

• Clean timing closure at block and top level across all defined corners and modes, with stable constraints and traceable waivers.
• Documented timing methodology adopted by the team, with measurable reductions in ECO cycles and predictable time-to-close.
• Correlated results between synthesis, P&R, and sign-off, demonstrated by repeatable reports and post-route margins on critical paths.
  

Requirements

• 5+ years in ASIC physical design with a strong emphasis on timing closure and sign-off.
• Familiarity with STA tools and flows, including clocking, cross-domain concerns, multi-clock designs, and hierarchical closure.
• Hands-on experience working with synthesis and place-and-route to drive timing-aware decisions and guide ECOs to closure.
• Scripting ability to automate timing analysis and reporting.
• A collaborative approach with front-end, backend, and verification teams.
  

Nice to have

• Experience with power-aware and low-power backend.
• Background in scan and test timing, and awareness of verification and physical verification interactions with timing.
• Exposure to advanced nodes and hierarchical sign-off on large designs.
• Context working on accelerators or memory-adjacent designs where timing and integration are tightly coupled.

Interview flow (indicative)

1. 30-min intro with HR (role/context)
2. First Technical deep dive
3. Second Technical Deep Dive
4. (Optional) Third Technical Deep Dive
5. Systems/product conversation with management