Circuit Design Engineer - Library

Apple Inc.; Beaverton (OR); On-site; USD 150,000 - 278,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Apple shareholder programs

Restricted stock units (RSUs)

Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP)

Comprehensive medical and dental

Job summary

Apple in Santa Clara, California, seeks a Circuit Design Engineering Lead to drive high‑performance, low‑power standard cells and discuss chip‑level integration with CPU/SOC/GPU teams. You will lead a small team, plan new circuit developments, and ensure DRM/PDV compliance with foundries as you advance technology nodes.

The role emphasizes leadership, hands‑on design, and collaboration across disciplines to deliver cutting‑edge ASICs for Apple customers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree + minimum 3 years of experience.
• 3+ years in Standard cells circuit development.
• Experience leading a small team.
• Strong collaboration across multi-functional teams.
• Knowledge of standard cell layout, DRM, DRC/LVS, PDV, Virtuoso.
• Experience in scripting in Perl and/or TCL.

Responsibilities

• Drive development of high performance, low power optimized standard cells to improve design PPA.
• Drive development of optimal level shifters and retention designs for low power.
• Identify next generation ideas to improve PPA.
• Engage with CPU, SOC and GPU teams on chip level integration.
• Drive circuit QA checks & analysis and develop new methodologies.
• Work with foundries on DRM compliant layout checkers and iPDK requirements.
• Plan & drive development of new circuits & technology node enablement.
• Manage migration to new PDK, PDV of standard cells & releases.

Skills

Standard cells circuit development

Leadership & mentoring

Interpersonal skills

Standard cell layout / DRM / DRC/LVS

Tech node device behavior

Circuit robustness analysis

Perl / TCL scripting

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

Virtuoso

Job description

Santa Clara, California, United States Hardware

Do you want to utilize your engineering background to make big things happen? Can you influence, connect, get results and communicate effectively? Can you deliver on a predictable and dynamic schedule? Do you have a passion for crafting entirely new solutions? Do you love building without precedent? As part of our Digital Design Engineering group, you’ll take imaginative and revolutionary ideas and determine how to turn them into reality. You and your team will apply engineering fundamentals and start from scratch if needed, bringing visionary ideas to the real world. Your efforts will be groundbreaking, often literally. Join us, and you’ll help design the tools that allow us to bring customers experiences they’ve never before envisioned. You will be part of an exciting silicon design group that is responsible for designing state-of-the-art ASICs. We have an extraordinary opportunity for Circuit Design Engineering Lead. In this highly visible role, you will be at the heart of a processor design effort, leading custom digital circuits team and library development, making a critical impact delivering products to market quickly.

Description

Imagine yourself at the center of our SOC design effort, collaborating with all disciplines, playing a strategic role of getting functional products to millions of customers quickly. You will have the opportunity to integrate and come-up with new ideas, as well as work with a team of talented engineers. As a Circuit Design Engineering Lead for the custom circuits team, you will perform the following:

• Drive development of high performance, low power optimized standard cells to improve design PPA.
• Drive development of optimal level shifters, retention designs, etc that cater to today’s Low Power Design Requirements.
• Identify next generation of new ideas to drive PPA improvements further
• Engage with CPU, SOC and GPU teams on chip level integration requirements.
• Drive Circuit QA checks & analysis, develop new methodologies based on new design requirements.
• Work with foundries on DRM complaint layout checkers and iPDK requirements.
• Plan & drive development of designs like new circuits & tech node enablement.
• Manage migration to new PDK, PDV of standard cells & releases.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree + minimum of 3 years of experience

Preferred Qualifications

• We are looking for applicants with 3+ years of experience in Standard cells circuit development.
• Proven experience leading & mentoring a small team
• Strong influence, excellent interpersonal skills & able to work with multi-functional teams
• Knowledge of standard cell layout, DRM, DRC/LVS decks, PDV flows, Virtuoso.
• Design experience in advanced tech node device behavior with understanding of layout rules.
• Knowledge of circuit robustness analysis
• Experience in scripting in Perl and/or TCL.

At Apple, base pay is one part of our total compensation package and is determined within a range. This provides the opportunity to progress as you grow and develop within a role. The base pay range for this role is between $150,400 and $277,600, and your base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location.

Benefits

• Apple employees also have the opportunity to become an Apple shareholder through participation in Apple’s discretionary employee stock programs.
• Apple employees are eligible for discretionary restricted stock unit awards, and can purchase Apple stock at a discount if voluntarily participating in Apple’s Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
• Comprehensive medical and dental coverage, retirement benefits, a range of discounted products and free services, and for formal education related to advancing your career at Apple, reimbursement for certain educational expenses — including tuition.
• this role might be eligible for discretionary bonuses or commission payments as well as relocation.

Apple benefit, compensation and employee stock programs are subject to eligibility requirements and other terms of the applicable plan or program.

Learn more about Apple Benefits

Apple is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. We seek to promote equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. Learn more about your EEO rights as an applicant

At Apple, we believe accessibility is a fundamental human right. You’ll find that idea reflected in everything here — in our culture, our benefits, and our digital tools. By welcoming as many perspectives as possible, we help you build a career where you feel like you belong.
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Apple accepts applications to this posting on an ongoing basis.