Physical Design Technical Competency Lead

Aion Silicon; Manchester; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading semiconductor company in Manchester is seeking a Technical Competency Lead (Physical Design) to drive global PD methodologies and strategy. This influential role involves leading the development of scalable workflows, mentoring engineering talent, and collaborating with EDA vendors. The ideal candidate has over 10 years in the semiconductor industry with expertise in full-chip Physical Design and a strong ability to articulate complex topics. The position offers a competitive salary, flexible working options, and growth opportunities.

Benefits

Competitive salary and benefits

Flexible working options

Opportunities for professional growth

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in the semiconductor industry.
• Top-level Physical Design experience including P&R and timing closure.
• Proven ability to develop and maintain PD methodologies.

Responsibilities

• Define and implement Physical Design strategies.
• Guide engineering teams in effective design methodology.
• Collaborate with EDA vendors to drive innovation.

Skills

Physical Design expertise

Communication skills

Project leadership

Tool management

Mentoring and guiding teams

Education

Relevant engineering degree

Tools

EDA tools

Job description

Are you an experienced semiconductor professional with deep, top-level (full-chip) Physical Design expertise? We are seeking a Technical Competency Lead (Physical Design) to define, evolve and champion our global PD methodologies and strategy. This is a strategic, highly influential role where your technical authority will shape how world-class ASICs are designed, implemented, and delivered.

About the Role

You will lead the development and rollout of scalable and standardised PD flows, ensuring engineering teams worldwide can execute efficiently and consistently. Acting as a senior subject matter expert, you will support customer programmes, mentor engineering talent, collaborate with EDA vendors, and drive innovation across physical implementation methodologies from floorplanning to sign-off.

Key Responsibilities

• Define, implement and maintain Physical Design strategies, methodologies and reference flows.
• Promote a customer-first approach with strong communication and dependable delivery.
• Drive innovation through scalable workflows, automation and best practice frameworks.
• Build strong relationships with EDA & IP vendors to evaluate and deploy best-in-class tools.
• Provide high-quality documentation, training, and technical enablement across design teams.
• Gather insights from technical and project leadership to continuously improve design methodology.
• Work with internal and external partners to integrate advanced techniques and IPs.
• Present technical white papers and support technical sales engagements where needed.
• Provide expert guidance, peer reviews, and issue resolution on complex customer projects.
• Ensure alignment between project execution and the overarching technical strategy.

What You’ll Bring

• A relevant engineering degree.
• Typically 10+ years’ experience in the semiconductor industry.
• Top-level (full-chip) Physical Design experience, including P&R, integration, timing closure and sign-off.
• Proven capability in developing, rolling out, and maintaining PD methodologies and training.
• Strong experience working with EDA tool vendors and managing tool adoption / optimisation.
• Ability to clearly articulate complex PD topics to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Skilled in writing and maintaining high-quality technical documentation.
• Proven ability to guide, mentor and upskill engineering teams.

Desirable

• Experience defining or evolving PD automation flows.
• Exposure to additional SoC disciplines (e.g., STA, RTL, DFT, verification).
• Technical leadership, planning or pre-sales experience.

Who You Are

• A creative and strategic thinker with a passion for engineering excellence.
• A confident communicator who builds trust and alignment with global teams.
• Organised, adaptable and comfortable working under pressure.
• Self-driven with high attention to detail and a commitment to quality.
• A collaborative team player and mentor who leads by influence.

Why Join Aion Silicon?

At Aion, we value expertise, innovation, and teamwork. You’ll join a supportive and ambitious environment where your contribution truly matters.

We offer

• Competitive salary and benefits
• Flexible working options
• Opportunities for professional growth and development
• A chance to influence the future of semiconductor design and delivery

If you're ready to take a global leadership role shaping how cutting-edge ASICs are built — we’d love to hear from you.

Apply now and help define the future of Physical Design methodology.