Senior EDA/CAD Engineer

PSI Quantum; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 185,000; Full time

Job summary

PsiQuantum is seeking a highly motivated CAD Engineer with a strong EE background to join the Electronic‑IC team. The candidate will work on circuits, layouts and VLSI design, write automation in Perl, Python and Cadence SKILL, and support both development and production design environments.

The role involves maintaining design environments, tools and PDKs, while collaborating with foundries and vendors to enable breakthrough silicon process technologies.

Qualifications

• B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering with 3+ or 5+ years of experience respectively.
• A basic understanding of MOSFET device behavior, CMOS layout and VLSI design.
• Excellent programming, debugging and problem‑solving skills.
• Experience with version control and design data management systems.
• Experience with Perl, Cadence SKILL and Python.
• Great communication skills.
• Passionate about providing excellent support for end‑users.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and support design databases, data integrity and version control systems (e.g. IC Manage, Cliosoft, or similar).
• Install, configure and support foundry PDKs.
• Develop automation using Perl, Python and Cadence SKILL.
• Own and maintain the custom design environment used by custom schematic and mask designers.
• Support and maintain CAD tools used by IC designers, including: Virtuoso ADE, ADS and other simulation environments; HSPICE and other simulation tools; Verilog / System Verilog flows.
• Maintain and improve the cloud‑based design environment, including compute infrastructure and user workflows.
• Work with CAD tool vendors to evaluate new tools, solve bugs and improve usability.
• Develop infrastructure to support design work in new process technologies.
• Troubleshoot and resolve design environment issues to ensure high team productivity.

Skills

Programming

Debugging

Problem solving

Verilog/SystemVerilog

Python

Perl

Cadence SKILL

Communication

End-user support

Version control

Education

B.S. in Electrical Engineering

M.S. in Electrical Engineering

Tools

IC Manage

Cliosoft

Cadence SKILL

Verilog

SystemVerilog

HSPICE

Virtuoso

ADS

Foundry PDKs

Job description

PsiQuantum's mission is to build the first useful quantum computers–machines capable of delivering the breakthroughs the field has long promised. Since our founding in 2016 the company has focused on building and deploying million‑qubit, fault‑tolerant quantum systems.

Quantum computers harness the laws of quantum mechanics to solve problems that even the most advanced supercomputers or AI systems will never reach. Their impact will span energy, pharmaceuticals, finance, agriculture, transportation, materials and other foundational industries.

Our architecture and approach are based on silicon photonics. By leveraging the advanced semiconductor manufacturing industry – including partners such as GlobalFoundries – we use the same high‑volume processes that already produce billions of chips for telecom and consumer electronics. Photonics offers natural advantages for scale: photons do not feel heat, are immune to electromagnetic interference and integrate with existing cryogenic cooling and standard fiber‑optic infrastructure.

In 2024 PsiQuantum announced government‑funded projects to support the build‑out of our first utility‑scale quantum computers in Brisbane, Australia, and Chicago, Illinois. These initiatives reflect a growing recognition that quantum computing will be strategically and economically defining and that now is the time to scale.

PsiQuantum also develops the algorithms and software needed to make these systems commercially valuable. Our application, software and industry teams work directly with leading Fortune 500 companies – including Lockheed Martin, Mercedes‑Benz, Boehringer Ingelheim and Mitsubishi Chemical – to prepare quantum solutions for real‑world impact.

Quantum computing is not an extension of classical computing. It represents a fundamental shift and a path to mastering challenges that cannot be solved any other way. The potential is enormous and we have a clear path to making it real.

Come join us.

Job Summary

PsiQuantum is searching for a highly motivated, excellent CAD Engineer to join the Electronic‑ICTeam. The successful candidate will have a solid EE background with an in‑depth understanding of circuits, layouts and VLSI design. We’re looking for someone with experience writing code to automate design processes and who enjoys working in groundbreaking process technologies. A strong background in Skill, Perl and Python is needed for this position. The job involves both development and support.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and support design databases, data integrity and version control systems (e.g. IC Manage, Cliosoft, or similar).
• Install, configure and support foundry PDKs.
• Develop automation using Perl, Python and Cadence SKILL.
• Own and maintain the custom design environment used by custom schematic and mask designers.
• Support and maintain CAD tools used by IC designers, including:
  • Virtuoso ADE, ADS and other simulation environments.
  • HSPICE and other simulation tools.
  • Verilog / System Verilog flows.
• Maintain and improve the cloud‑based design environment, including compute infrastructure and user workflows.
• Work with CAD tool vendors to evaluate new tools, solve bugs and improve usability.
• Develop infrastructure to support design work in new process technologies.
• Troubleshoot and resolve design environment issues to ensure high team productivity.

Experience / Qualifications

• B.S. (or equivalent) in Electrical Engineering with 5 + years of experience or M.S. in Electrical Engineering with 3 + years of experience.
• A basic understanding of MOSFET device behavior, CMOS layout and VLSI design.
• Excellent programming, debugging and problem‑solving skills.
• Experience with version control and design data management systems.
• Experience with Perl, Cadence SKILL and Python.
• Great communication skills.
• Passionate about providing excellent support for end‑users.

PsiQuantum provides equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. PsiQuantum does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information or any other basis protected by applicable laws.

Note

PsiQuantum will only reach out to you using an official PsiQuantum email address and will never ask you for bank account information as part of the interview process. Please report any suspicious activity to [e-mail].

We are not accepting unsolicited resumes from employment agencies.

U.S. Base Pay Range: $120,000 – $130,000 USD

Bay Area Pay Range: $160,000 – $185,000 USD