Senior Physical Design Lead — Custom Silicon

Apple Inc.; San Diego, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 167,000 - 296,000; Full time

Job summary

Apple Inc. is seeking a Physical Design Lead to manage and drive complex semiconductor projects within the Custom Silicon Management group.

You will lead technical engagements with silicon suppliers, improve PD flows, and ensure QoR excellence for Apple chips across multiple teams. The role requires deep hands-on PD experience, strong digital design knowledge, and proven leadership in tapeouts of complex chips.

Qualifications

• Minimum: Physical Design experience.
• Knowledge of digital design concepts.

Responsibilities

• Audit vendor PD flows and methodologies for any holes and set up issues.
• Suggest improvements to their methodology to optimize it to obtain the best QoR for Apple chips.
• Work closely with the internal teams like systems and program management to ensure that the vendor PD implementation team is meeting the design goals.
• Work closely with specialists from other teams like the packaging, process etc. to resolve any issues in the project which are in an area closely related to PD.
• Conduct periodic design reviews - with deep technical dives - to make sure the project is tracking to the schedule and maintaining a high quality of work.
• Review all the final PD, STA, SI, Electrical analysis reports and sign-off on them for tapeout approval.
• Provide post tapeout support to work on ECOs and debug, if required.
• Adhere to a strict and consistent standard of operation across all vendors and projects.
• Maintain a professional relationship with the vendor and yet walk the fine line to maintain the customer-vendor distance.

Skills

Physical design leadership

Digital design concepts

VLSI/HDL knowledge

Static timing analysis

Power and SI analysis

CAD tools familiarity

Tools

Cadence

Synopsys

Mentor

Atoptech

Job description

Apple Inc. is seeking a Physical Design Lead to manage and drive complex semiconductor projects within the Custom Silicon Management group.

You will lead technical engagements with silicon suppliers, improve PD flows, and ensure QoR excellence for Apple chips across multiple teams. The role requires deep hands-on PD experience, strong digital design knowledge, and proven leadership in tapeouts of complex chips.