Physical Design Engineer - Early in Career

Cisco Systems, Inc.; Barcelona; On-site; EUR 42,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

The Cisco Silicon One team in Barcelona is seeking a Physical Design Engineer to contribute to backend flow from RTL to GDS for high-performance ASICs.

You will work on physical synthesis, place & route, timing closure and floorplanning, collaborating with architecture, design, verification, and implementation teams to deliver quality silicon.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's degree in Electrical or Computer Engineering.
• Right to work in Spain.
• Fluent in English and Spanish.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to backend implementation from RTL toward GDS.
• Perform physical synthesis, place and route, and timing closure.
• Collaborate with architects, designers, verification and implementation engineers.

Skills

RTL to GDS flow

Physical Design

Scripting

Education

B.Sc or M.Sc Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering

Tools

Place & Route tools

Job description

Please note this posting is to advertise potential job opportunities. This exact role may not be open today but could open in the near future. When you apply, a Cisco representative may contact you directly if a relevant position opens.

Meet the team

The Physical Design team within Cisco Silicon One owns backend methodology and flow development from RTL to GDS. The team plays a critical role in developing high-quality VLSI designs for some of Cisco's most advanced silicon products. We work with the latest silicon technologies and processes to build large-scale, complex devices that push the boundaries of feasibility. You will collaborate with experienced engineers across architecture, design, verification, and implementation to deliver high-performance silicon.

Your Impact

You will join a dynamic engineering team focused on defining, designing, and verifying ASIC and ASIC subsystems for Cisco’s diverse range of platforms. Our team contributes to the full product lifecycle, ensuring we meet power, performance, and area goals for our products. We focus on designing, documenting, and developing high-quality ASIC subsystems for high-volume deployment. Additionally, we actively define the processes, methods, and tools necessary for the implementation of complex, next-generation developments.

What You’ll Do

You will be part of the Cisco Silicon One team, which is at the heart of Cisco's software and ASIC design efforts. As a Physical Design Engineer, you will contribute to backend implementation work across key stages of chip design, helping move complex designs from RTL toward GDS. You will work on physical synthesis, place and route, optimization, timing closure, and floor planning activities. Success in this role means delivering high-quality implementation results, learning quickly from senior engineers, and helping improve the flow and methodology used by the team.

Minimum Qualifications

• B.Sc or M.Sc Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering graduate (or any other relevant fields)
• Right to work in Spain.
• Fluent in english and spanish.

Preferred Qualifications

• Up to 2 years of relevant experience is a plus.
• Scripting skills and coding are a nice to have.

Why Cisco?

At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era – and beyond. We’ve been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint.

Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you’ll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere.

We are Cisco, and our power starts with you.