Sr. Staff Physical Design PPA Engineer

Samsung Electronics America; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 270,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Life Insurance

401(k)

Onsite lunch

Employee purchase program

Tuition assistance

Paid time off

Student loan program

Wellness incentives

Job summary

Samsung Electronics America seeks a Sr Staff Physical Design PPA Engineer to lead power, performance, and area optimization for premium IPs at the SARC/ACL center. You will own end-to-end PD flows from synthesis through signoff, collaborating with RTL/SOC teams to push innovative design solutions.

The role requires extensive experience in ASIC/SoC design, strong scripting skills, and a proven ability to deliver high-quality results within tight schedules.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science/Computer Engineering/relevant technical field.
• 8+ years of experience with a Master’s degree.
• 6+ years of experience with a PhD.
• Solid understanding of SOC/ASIC design flow with tapeout experience.
• Experience with synthesis, block, and full chip implementation using P&R/STA flows and tools.
• Proficient in TCL, Perl, Shell, and/or Python scripting.
• Strong analytical skills and attention to detail.

Responsibilities

• Lead PPA initiatives by identifying opportunities, tracking progress, and delivering solutions.
• Drive flow and methodology improvements to automate Physical Design implementation.
• Collaborate with RTL/SOC teams to meet design needs and expectations.
• Hands-on responsibility from synthesis to place & route through signoff flows.
• Perform chip-level and hierarchical physical implementation including timing and P&R signoff.
• Resolve design issues with RTL counterparts and optimize the design flow.
• Ensure designs meet frequency, power, and area targets.

Skills

Physical design

P&R flows

Scripting TCL

Python scripting

Problem solving

Timing & power analysis

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science/Computer Engineering/relevant technical field

Master’s degree

PhD

Tools

Synthesis tools

Place & Route tools

TIMING/STA tools

CTS tooling

Job description

Position Summary

Samsung, a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, is founded on a simple philosophy – the endless pursuit of excellence will create a better world for all. At Samsung Austin Research and Development Center (SARC) and Advanced Computing Lab (ACL), we are building a center of excellence for Intellectual Property (IP) that is applied to high-performance computing devices (mobile, automotive, and other custom market segments) consumed by millions of people around the world. Come build with us!

Role and Responsibilities

As a Sr Staff Physical Design PPA Engineer. you will be responsible for developing and innovating design recipes aimed at improving Power/Performance/Area used for Physical Design execution on SARC/ACL premium IPs. The role requires a contributor with strong problem-solving skills, high proficiency in all areas of Physical Design Implementation, and a comprehensive approach to delivering solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• You will lead PPA initiatives by identifying opportunities, tracking progress, and executing towards delivering solutions that meet project requirements.
• You will drive flows and methodologies improvements for the purpose of automating Physical Design Implementation, leveraging your strong problem-solving skills and high proficiency in all areas of Physical Design.
• You will collaborate with stakeholders to ensure that your solutions meet their needs and expectations.
• You will have hands‑on responsibility from synthesis to place and route of an IP block through signoff flows, including timing and physical verification.
• You will work on synthesis, floor planning, place & route in chip-level and hierarchical physical implementation environments, ensuring that your designs meet PPA targets and signoff requirements.
• You will interact with RTL counterparts and SOC teams to resolve design issues pertaining to block closure, providing feedback and working together to optimize the design flow.
• You will utilize your comprehensive approach to delivering solutions, ensuring that y your work is of the highest quality and meets or exceeds expectations for frequency, power, and area requirements.

Skills and Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science/Computer Engineering/relevant technical field
• 8+ years of experience with a Master’s degree
• 6+ years of experience with a PhD
• Solid understanding of the SOC/ASIC design flow with particular experience in taping out designs
• Experience with synthesis, block, and full chip implementation utilizing the latest industry P&R/STA flows and tools
• Experience in block level floor-planning, implementing power grid and area/congestion optimization
• Proficient scripting/programming skills in TCL, Perl, Shell, and/or Python
• Knowledge of Electrical Engineering fundamentals, analytical aptitude and excellent attention to detail
• Strong communication skills, team player working in collaborative work environment, discipline and planning; ability to execute with high quality deliverables is a must

Preferred Candidate

• Experience with 7nm Finfet or smaller process nodes
• Hands‑on experience with clock tree synthesis (CTS)
• Sign‑off experience with reliability, signal integrity, noise, timing, power, physical and DFM closure

Our Team

We’re strengthening our team of talented individuals with diverse skill sets to build a technology roadmap and deliver market-leading GPU. Our Xclipse GPU is the first mobile GPU with ray tracing technology that enables console‑level graphic for Samsung Galaxy smartphones. With architecture scalability at the frontier of our design focus, our performance- and power-optimized IP solution gets integrated into complex semiconductor products, aiming to reach multiple market segments. Our Physical Design group is part of the larger Design Implementation team at SARC/ACL. The fast‑paced environment here provides us opportunities to learn different areas of design implementation and diversifying our technical expertise. We take pride in our highly collaborative team culture and feel supported by our leadership to explore new ideas and bring them to reality every day. We believe in connecting your area of expertise with the right level and functional discipline that can empower you to grow.

Total Rewards

At Samsung – SARC/ACL, base pay is one part of our total compensation package and is determined within a range. This provides the opportunity to progress as you grow and develop within a role. The base pay range for this role is between $180,200 and $270,400. Your actual base pay will depend on variables that may include your education skills, qualifications, experience, and work location.

• medical
• dental
• vision
• life insurance
• 401(k)
• onsite lunch
• employee purchase program
• tuition assistance (after 6 months)
• paid time off
• student loan program
• wellness incentives
• many more

In addition, regular full‑time employees (salaried or hourly) are eligible for MBO bonus compensation, based on company, division, and individual performance.

Additionally, this role might be eligible to participate in long term incentive plan and relocation.

This is an exempt position, which is not eligible for overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

Trade Secrets

By submitting an application, you agree not to disclose to Samsung or induce or encourage Samsung to use any confidential or proprietary information (including trade secrets) belonging to a current or former employer or other entity.

U.S. Export Control

This role may require access to information subject to U.S. export control laws. Applicants must be authorized to access such information or eligible for government authorization.

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Equal Employment Opportunity

Samsung Electronics America, Inc. and its subsidiaries are committed to employing a diverse workforce, and provide Equal Employment Opportunity for all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a protected veteran, genetic information, status as a qualified individual with a disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Samsung Electronics is a global leader in technology, opening new possibilities for people everywhere. Through relentless innovation and discovery, we are transforming the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, digital appliances, and network systems, and the entire semiconductor industry with our memory, system LSI, foundry, and LED solutions. Samsung is also leading in the development of the Internet of Things through, among others, our Smart Home and Digital Health initiatives. Since being established in 1969, Samsung Electronics has grown into one of the world’s leading technology companies, and become recognized as one of the top global brands. Our network now extends across the world, and Samsung takes great pride in the creativity and diversity of its talented people, who drive our growth. To discover more, please visit our official newsroom at (https://news.samsung.com/global/).