Staff EDA Software Engineer

Brahma Consulting Group; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Brahma Consulting Group is seeking an EDA/CAD Engineer specializing in characterization with 3+ years of hands-on tool-building experience to design and own a high-performance cell characterization engine from the ground up. You will work closely with ML and physical design teams to power client optimization.

This role focuses on building tools, not just running flows, and requires hands-on SPICE orchestration, Liberty (.lib) generation, and integration of characterization loops into AI engines.

Qualifications

• 3–10 years building cell characterization tools or in EDA R&D.
• Proficient in C++ and Python for tool development.
• Hands-on experience with SPICE simulators (HSPICE/Spectre/FineSim).
• Familiar with timing, power, noise models and Liberty formats.

Responsibilities

• Build and own a scalable cell characterization engine for timing, power, and noise models.
• Design SPICE layer with scheduling and parallelization to maximize speed.
• Own .lib generation and validation to ensure STA tool compatibility.
• Collaborate with ML and physical design teams to integrate characterization loops.
• Evaluate tradeoffs between runtime and fidelity; present to leadership.

Skills

C++

Python

cell characterization

timing models

power models

Liberty formats

SPICE

SPICE orchestration

ML integration

Education

MS/PhD in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science

BS with equivalent hands-on tool-building

Tools

HSPICE

Spectre

FineSim

LSF

SLURM

Job description

We are seeking an EDA/CAD Engineer specializing in characterization with 3+ years of experience to design and build a high-performance cell characterization engine from the ground up. You will own the core characterization infrastructure end-to-end.

This role is for an engineer who builds tools rather than just running them, working closely with our ML and physical design teams to power client's optimization engine.

Key Responsibilities

• Build Characterization Engine: Architect and develop a fast, scalable cell characterization engine for timing, power, and noise models covering standard cells and custom IP (including NLDM, CCS, and ECSM generation).
• SPICE Orchestration: Design the SPICE simulation layer with job scheduling, parallelization (LSF/SLURM), and intelligent sampling techniques to maximize speed without compromising accuracy.
• Liberty (.lib) Generation: Own the .lib file generation and validation pipeline to ensure outputs are functionally correct and downstream STA tool compliant (e.g., PrimeTime, Tempus).
• ML & Optimization Integration: Partner with physical design and ML teams to define data needs, build programmatic APIs, and integrate characterization loops into our AI engines.
• Tradeoff Analysis: Evaluate engineering tradeoffs between runtime speed and simulation fidelity, presenting technical decisions to internal leadership and key customers.

Dealbreakers

• Hands-on Tool Building: Track record of building cell characterization tools/infrastructure from scratch, not just executing existing flows.
• Deep Methodological Knowledge: In-depth understanding of cell characterization methodologies (timing, power, noise, liberty formats).
• Location: Willingness to work on-site 4 days per week in Los Altos, CA.

Requirements & Experience

• Experience: 3–10 years building cell characterization tools or in EDA R&D.
• Programming Skills: Strong proficiency in C++ and Python.
• SPICE Simulation: Hands-on experience with SPICE simulators (HSPICE, Spectre, or FineSim).
• Education: MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field (BS accepted with equivalent hands-on tool-building track record).
• Mindset: Driven by circuit modeling innovation and eager to build foundational tools in a fast-paced startup environment.

Nice-to-Haves

• R&D experience at major EDA vendors (e.g., Synopsys PrimeLib, Cadence Liberate, Ansys).
• Experience applying Machine Learning or surrogate modeling techniques to accelerate characterization.
• Prior startup experience or a strong drive to join an early‑stage company.