RISC-V Physical Design Engineer — PPA & Signoff Specialist

ACL Digital; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

ACL Digital is seeking a seasoned Physical Design Engineer to lead the implementation of high-performance RISC-V based processor designs from RTL to GDSII. You will own full-chip and block-level physical implementation, timing closure, power optimization, PPA, and sign-off across domains.

Ideal candidates have 8+ years of block-level PD experience, with hands-on work on EM/IR, power grids, floorplanning, clock-tree synthesis, and sign-off readiness using industry tools.

Qualifications

• At least 8 years of block-level physical implementation from RTL to GDSII.
• Experience with EM/IR and power grid optimization for high-current blocks.
• Experience driving sign-off: DRC, LVS, antenna, ERC, tapeout readiness.
• Experience in routing-aware floorplanning and clock-tree synthesis with skew management.
• Proficiency in Tcl, Python, Perl for PD automation.

Responsibilities

• Own full-chip and block-level physical implementation from RTL to GDSII.
• Drive timing closure and power optimization to meet PPA targets.
• Support sign-off activities: DRC, LVS, antenna, ERC, and tapeout readiness.
• Contribute to and improve physical design automation infrastructure using scripting tools.

Skills

Block-level PD experience

RTL to GDSII experience

Timing closure

Power optimization

PD sign-off

Scripting for PD (Tcl, Python, Perl)

Clock tree synthesis

Floorplanning

Tools

Innovus

ICC2

Calibre

Voltus

RedHawk

Job description

ACL Digital is seeking a seasoned Physical Design Engineer to lead the implementation of high-performance RISC-V based processor designs from RTL to GDSII. You will own full-chip and block-level physical implementation, timing closure, power optimization, PPA, and sign-off across domains.

Ideal candidates have 8+ years of block-level PD experience, with hands-on work on EM/IR, power grids, floorplanning, clock-tree synthesis, and sign-off readiness using industry tools.