Sr Physical Design Engineer (GF 12LP) – 100% remote

Encore Semi Llc; San Diego (CA); Remote; USD 135,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

15 days PTO per year

Medical benefits 80% premiums

Dental & Vision 50% premiums

401k - Traditional & Roth

Life Insurance & Disability

Job summary

Encore Semi, Inc. is seeking a Senior Physical Design Engineer to lead RTL-to-GDSII implementation for FinFET SoCs on GF 12LP, working 100% remotely in the USA. The role emphasizes ownership of P&R challenges and timing closure, with a focus on power, performance, and area.

You will drive floorplanning, CTS, routing, and signoff using Synopsys Fusion Compiler or ICC II and PrimeTime, while developing automation scripts to optimize flows and PPA metrics.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of ASIC physical design experience with tape-outs on FinFET nodes.
• Strong background in synthesis, P&R, CTS, and signoff methodologies.
• Proficiency with scripting in Tcl, Python, or Perl.

Responsibilities

• End-to-End Implementation: drive block- and top-level physical design from synthesis through GDSII signoff.
• Core P&R & optimization: floorplanning, power grid design, placement, CTS, and routing for GF 12LP cells.
• Timing & signoff: STA, extraction, multi-corner/multi-mode closure using PrimeTime/StarRC.
• Physical verification & reliability: address FinFET challenges, DRC/LVS, EM/IR drop analysis.
• Automation: develop Tcl and Python scripts to streamline flows and metrics.

Skills

ASIC physical design

Tape-out experience

Scripting (Tcl/Python/Perl)

Education

BS or MS in Electrical or Computer Engineering

Tools

Synopsys Fusion Compiler/ICC II

PrimeTime

Job description

Sr Physical Design Engineer (GF 12LP) – 100% remote

Full-time: Salary + Benefits + Bonuses / Contractor

Work Status: US Citizen required.

Location: Remote, anywhere in USA

About the Role

We are seeking a Senior Physical Design Engineer to lead the RTL-to-GDSII implementation of high-performance SoCs. In this role, you will take ownership of advanced FinFET design challenges, push Power, Performance, and Area (PPA) boundaries, and drive robust timing closure targeting the GlobalFoundries 12LP node.

What You’ll Do

• End-to-End Implementation: Drive block- and top-level physical design from synthesis through GDSII signoff using the Synopsys Fusion Design Platform.
• Core P&R & Optimization: Execute floorplanning, power grid design, placement, Clock Tree Synthesis (CTS), and detail routing optimized for GF 12LP standard cell architectures.
• Timing & Signoff: Lead Static Timing Analysis (STA), parasitic extraction, and multi-corner/multi-mode closure using PrimeTime and StarRC.
• Physical Verification & Reliability: Resolve advanced FinFET physical challenges, including double patterning, DRC/LVS (ICV), and EM/IR-drop analysis (RedHawk).
• Automation: Develop Tcl and Python scripts to streamline flows, improve runtimes, and track PPA metrics.

What You Bring

• Experience: 5+ years of ASIC physical design experience with proven tape-outs on advanced FinFET nodes (≤14nm/12nm).
• Tool Expertise: Deep hands-on proficiency with Synopsys Fusion Compiler (or ICC II) and PrimeTime.
• Technical Mastery: Strong grounding in synthesis, CTS, complex SDC constraints, and signoff methodologies.
• Scripting: Solid scripting skills in Tcl, Python, or Perl.
• Education: BS or MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.

Nice-to-Haves

• Direct tape-out experience on GF 12LP / 12LP+
• Deep knowledge of advanced low-power flows (UPF, multi-voltage, DVFS).
• Experience hardening high-frequency processor cores (e.g., ARM, RISC-V)

The anticipated annual base salary for this position is between $135,000 to $165,000, which also includes a comprehensive benefits package.

Full-Time Benefits

• 15 days of PTO per calendar year
• 10 paid Holidays per calendar year
• Comprehensive Medical Benefits: Company covers 80% of premiums for Employee and Dependents
• Dental & Vision: Company covers 50% of premiums for Employee and Dependents
• Voluntary Benefits: Life Insurance, FSA (Health and Dependent, Limited Purpose), HAS, and Gap Insurance
• Employee Assistant Program (EAP)
• 401k - Traditional & Roth
• Life/AD&D and Long-Term Disability
• Tuition reimbursement

Equal Opportunity Policy Statement

Encore Semi, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate on the basis of actual or perceived race, religion, creed, color, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or expression, national origin, genetics, ancestry, marital status, civil union status, medical condition, disability (mental and physical), military and veteran status, pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws and ordinances.

Encore Semi is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.

LinkedIn :: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rtl2gds/