Senior Physical Design Engineer — AI-Driven FDE

OpenAI; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 260,000 - 302,000; Full time

Job summary

OpenAI's Forward Deployed Engineering team in San Francisco is seeking a Senior Physical Design Engineer to lead backend/physical design engagements with semiconductor customers. You will serve as the SME across floorplanning, place and route, timing, and signoff, translating technical tradeoffs into actionable plans while earning strong customer credibility.

Over time, you will grow into broader FDE ownership, shaping deployment strategy and production-grade AI deployments.

Qualifications

• Minimum Qualifications: BS with 7+ years, MS with 5+ years in physical design or backend signoff for ASIC/SoC programs.
• Hands-on experience in floorplanning, place and route, CTS, timing closure, power analysis, physical verification, and signoff.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the physical design SME for semiconductor engagements, translating workflows and constraints into technical plans.
• Support customer-facing conversations as a trusted advisor with credibility with technical leadership.
• Shape AI-assisted solutions across physical design workflows including floorplanning, P&R, clocking, timing closure, congestion, power, and signoff.
• Guide feasibility and integration decisions across design, verification, and physical design lifecycle.
• Educate and mentor the broader FDE team on physical design concepts, EDA tooling, and trade-offs.

Skills

Physical design

Backend signoff

EDA tools

Scripting Python

Tcl

Communication

Customer-facing

Education

BS/MS in EE/CS

Tools

Synthesis tools

Place & Route tools

Power analysis tools

Job description

OpenAI's Forward Deployed Engineering team in San Francisco is seeking a Senior Physical Design Engineer to lead backend/physical design engagements with semiconductor customers. You will serve as the SME across floorplanning, place and route, timing, and signoff, translating technical tradeoffs into actionable plans while earning strong customer credibility.

Over time, you will grow into broader FDE ownership, shaping deployment strategy and production-grade AI deployments.