Principal CAD Engineer

Ampere Computing LLC; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 195,000 - 292,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401K retirement plan

Paid holidays

Job summary

Ampere Computing LLC in Santa Clara is seeking an experienced Principal CAD Engineer to advance high-performance implementation and physical design, focusing on PPA.

You will develop scalable CAD infrastructure and automation frameworks, support multi-project flows, and work across technology nodes. The role demands strong communication and advanced degree/experience across hardware design and EDA tools.

Qualifications

• Proven experience driving PPA optimization across physical design flows – from synthesis to sign-off at advanced technology nodes
• Success in delivering block or chip-level designs with aggressive PPA targets
• Experience in low power design and implementation techniques using UPF/CPF
• Proficiency in hierarchical P&R, floorplanning, pin-assignment, clock-distribution, critical-signal handling
• Expertise in developing scalable CAD infrastructure and automation frameworks for PPA regressions

Responsibilities

• Drive development and continuous improvement of synthesis and physical design methodology with a focus on maximizing Power, Performance and Area (PPA)
• Collaborate closely with implementation and physical design teams to optimize PPA metrics across multiple projects
• Analyze the impact of technology and design changes on PPA at block and full chip level
• Identify PPA bottlenecks and develop solutions that balance timing, area, power and routability
• Debug flow issues and implement robust automation for scalable deployment across various advanced technologies and design teams

Skills

PPA optimization

Physical design

Synthesis to sign-off

Clock distribution

CAD infrastructure

Education

Bachelor's/Master's/PhD in ECE/CS

Tools

Cadence Genus

Cadence Innovus

Mentor Calibre

Job description

Ampere is a semiconductor design company for a new era, leading the future of computing by developing SoCs and platform solutions focused on high-performance, energy efficient AI compute. As a pioneer in the new frontier of energy efficient high-performance computing, Ampere is part of the Softbank Group of companies driving sustainable AI compute for cloud, edge, and physical applications.

AI is showing up in essentially every part of the technology landscape, and we’re focused on delivering the performance, efficiency, and reliability those workloads require. Ampere is building compute silicon and platforms for AI applications spanning a broad range of industries. We focus on solving exciting challenges in areas such as robotics and automotive, among others, but the core of our work is enabling efficient AI at scale and across multiple application domains.

About the role:

We are looking for an experienced Principal CAD Engineer to join a small but growing Processor Design group, advancing the art of high-performance implementation and physical design. Ideal candidates will develop and maintain physical design flows for high performance designs and contribute to PPA related methodology changes across multiple projects and technology nodes.

What you’ll achieve:

• Drive development and continuous improvement of synthesis and physical design methodology with a focus on maximizing Power, Performance and Area (PPA)
• Collaborate closely with implementation and physical design teams to optimize PPA metrics across multiple projects
• Analyze the impact of technology and design changes on PPA at block and full chip level
• Identify PPA bottlenecks and develop solutions that balance timing, area, power and routability
• Debug flow issues and implement robust automation for scalable deployment across various advanced technologies and design teams

About you:

Proven experience driving PPA optimization across physical design flows – from synthesis to sign-off at advanced technology nodes

Success in delivering block or chip-level designs with aggressive PPA targets

Experience in low power design and implementation techniques using UPF/CPF

Proficiency in hierarchical P&R, floorplanning, pin-assignment, clock-distribution, critical-signal handling, hierarchical abstractions (black-box, ILM, etc.)

Expertise in developing scalable CAD infrastructure and automation frameworks for PPA regressions

Familiar with chip-finishing and sign-off processes including metal-fill, spare-cells, DFM, boundary-cell insertion, etc

Experience with EDA tools such as Cadence Genus, Innovus, Mentor Calibre, etc

Excellent communication, analytical and debugging skills

Electrical or Computer Engineering - Bachelor’s degree & 8 years of related experience; or Master's degree & 6 years; or PhD & 3 years

What we’ll offer:

At Ampere we believe in taking care of our employees and providing a competitive total rewards package that includes base pay, cash long-term incentive, and comprehensive benefits. The full base pay range for this role is between $195,000 and $292,000.

Our benefits include health, wellness, and financial programs that support employees through every stage of life.

• Premium medical insurance, dental insurance, vision insurance, as well as income protection and a 401K retirement plan, so that you can feel secure in your health and financial future.
• Unlimited Flextime and 10+ paid holidays so that you can embrace a healthy work-life balance.
• A variety of healthy snacks, energizing espresso, and refreshing drinks to keep you fueled and focused throughout the day.

And there is much more than compensation and benefits. At Ampere, we foster an inclusive culture that empowers our employees to do more and grow more. We are excited to share more about our career opportunities with you through the interview process.

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

Ampere is an inclusive and equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants from all backgrounds. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, citizenship, religion, age, veteran and/or military status, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, physical or mental disability, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law.