Senior Physical Design Engineer

IC Resources; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading semiconductor firm is seeking a Senior Physical Design Engineer to join their team in Cambridge or Bristol. This hands-on role requires expertise in digital backend design, particularly at advanced nodes of 7nm or below. You will collaborate on the physical design flow, optimizing designs to meet power, performance, and area targets. Excellent scripting skills are essential. This position offers the opportunity to influence methodologies and contribute to innovative technology developments.

Qualifications

• Solid background in digital backend/physical design, ideally including work at 7nm or below.
• Practical knowledge of timing closure, clock tree design, physical verification, and sign-off processes.
• Strong scripting/programming ability (e.g. Python, Tcl).

Responsibilities

• Drive multiple stages of the physical design flow from floorplanning to final sign-off.
• Optimise designs for power, performance, and area while meeting aggressive schedules.
• Contribute to the development of new flows and automation to improve team efficiency.
• Collaborate closely with RTL, verification, packaging, and product engineering groups.
• Take ownership of technical challenges and propose creative, robust solutions.

Skills

Timing closure

Clock tree design

Physical verification

Scripting (Python, Tcl)

Education

Degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering or Computer Science

Job description

Senior Physical Design Engineer - Bristol or Cambridge

This client is a fast-growing player in the semiconductor space, focused on developing advanced computing platforms that enable cutting-edge applications in AI, high-performance computing, and data-intensive systems. With strong financial backing and a growing engineering presence in Cambridge and Bristol, they are looking to strengthen their physical design group with new talent.

As a Physical Design Engineer, you will be part of a collaborative team responsible for turning complex RTL designs into high-quality silicon. This is a hands-on role where you’ll work across the full digital backend flow, ensuring designs meet performance, power, and area targets at advanced technology nodes. You’ll also have the opportunity to influence methodologies, improve design processes, and contribute to technical innovation on next-generation products.

Responsibilities

• Drive multiple stages of the physical design flow, from floorplanning through place and route to final sign-off
• Optimise designs for power, performance, and area while meeting aggressive schedules
• Contribute to the development of new flows and automation to improve team efficiency
• Collaborate closely with RTL, verification, packaging, and product engineering groups
• Take ownership of technical challenges and propose creative, robust solutions

Qualifications

• Degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Computer Science, or related discipline
• Solid background in digital backend/physical design, ideally including work at 7nm or below
• Practical knowledge of timing closure, clock tree design, physical verification, and sign-off processes
• Strong scripting/programming ability (e.g. Python, Tcl)

Tel - 01189073075

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordan-browne-b4a08b20b/