Physical Design Engineer
Read straight from Etched's careers page, verified 2d ago.Seekless can tailor your résumé to it.
Seekless can write your résumé for this posting first.
Before you apply
SalaryNo pay range posted
LocationSan Jose
Work modeon-site
Typefull-time
SenioritySenior
Experience5+ yrs
DepartmentASIC
Company size501–1,000 people
PostedAug 11, 2025 · 1y ago
Verified live2d ago
May no longer be actively hiring
Posted by the company on Aug 11, 202556% of this company's open roles have been listed for 90+ daysNo pay range listed, though California requires one
At a glanceSummarised by Seekless from the posting.
5-10+ years of previous experience with PD
Tools, flow, and design methodology from RTL synthesis to GDSII sign-off
Experience with back-end design and timing closure on advanced process nodes (5nm and below)
Experience with Cadence (Innovus, Genus) or Synopsys (ICC2, Fusion Compiler) automated RTL-to-GDSII flows
Experience with sign-off tools (PrimeTime, Tempus, Voltus, etc.)
Experience with UPF-based low power design methodology, power verification, synthesis, scan insertion/ATPG, formal verification, floorplanning, placement, CTS, routing, IR drop, and EM/antenna analysis
Deeply creative and able to think from first principles
Familiarity with modern ML and LLM model architectures
Ability to program with Python or another scripting language
Familiarity with AI tools for programming/coding
Startup experience or comfort working in fast-paced environments
Skills
Cadence Innovus
Cadence Genus
Synopsys ICC2
Synopsys Fusion Compiler
PrimeTime
Tempus
Voltus
Python
Benefits
Health insurance
Dental insurance
Vision insurance
Housing stipend
Relocation assistance
Wellness benefits
Meal plan
About Etched
Etched is building hardware for frontier intelligence. We co-design chips, racks, software, and manufacturing to deliver best-in-class throughput and latency across both prefill and decode workloads. Our first products are heavily focused on inference. Backed by hundreds of millions from top-tier investors and staffed by leading engineers, Etched is redefining the infrastructure layer for the fastest growing industry in history.
Job Summary
Etched is looking for exceptional Physical Design engineers to join our team. In this role, you
will own block-level implementation and verification, drive timing closure and PPA optimization, supervise 3rd party design work, and help improve our design flows and iteration speed.
Key Responsibilities
•
Deeply understand what is involved in physical design
•
Running PD flows to close blocks, support ASIC infrastructure, automate PD flows,
improve CAD infrastructure
•
Collaborate with RTL Designers and provide Physical Design feedback to improve PPA
•
Drive dashboards that show the convergence of projects related to PD
•
Optimize tool flows, working with EDA vendors to incorporate the latest features
•
Accountable for block level closure
•
Supervise the outsourcing of physical design to a 3rd party service
You may be a good fit if you have
•
5-10+ years of previous experience with PD
•
Tools, flow, and design methodology from RTL synthesis to GDSII sign-off
•
Experience with back-end design and timing closure on advanced process nodes (5nm
and below)
•
Experience with Cadence (Innovus, Genus) or Synopsys (ICC2, Fusion Compiler)
automated RTL-to-GDSII flows
•
Experience with sign-off tools (PrimeTime, Tempus, Voltus, etc.)
•
Experience with UPF-based low power design methodology, power verification,synthesis, scan insertion/ATPG, formal verification, floorplanning, placement, CTS,
routing, IR drop, and EM/antenna analysis
•
Deeply creative and able to think from first principles
Strong candidates may also have experience with
•
Familiarity with modern ML and LLM model architectures
•
Ability to program with Python or another scripting language
•
Familiarity with AI tools for programming/coding
•
Startup experience or comfort working in fast-paced environments
Benefits
•
Medical, dental, and vision packages with generous premium coverage
•
$500 per month credit for waiving medical benefits
•
Housing subsidy of $2.5k per month for those living within walking distance of the office
•
Relocation support for those moving to San Jose (Santana Row)
•
Various wellness benefits covering fitness, mental health, and more
•
Daily lunch + dinner in our office
•
Unlimited compute budget subject to ROI justification
How we’re different:
Etched believes in the Bitter Lesson. We are the first inference-focused frontier AI system. Our addressable market is the entirety of inference, unlike many of our competitors.
We are a fully in-person team in San Jose (Santana Row), and greatly value engineering skills. We do not have boundaries between engineering and research, and we expect all of our technical staff to contribute to both and work across disciplines as needed.