Sr. Physical Design Engineer (AI)

TL;DR

Sr. Physical Design Engineer (AI): Designing and optimizing custom SoCs and hardware for AWS Machine Learning servers (Inferentia, Trainium) with an accent on RTL-to-GDSII implementation and power-performance-area tradeoffs. Focus on driving block physical implementation, synthesis, timing closure, and developing physical design methodologies for massive-scale cloud infrastructure.

Location: Must be based in Austin, TX or Cupertino, CA

Salary: $159,200 - $247,600

Company

Annapurna Labs designs silicon and software that accelerates innovation for AWS cloud solutions.

What you will do

• Drive IO/Core subsystem physical implementation through synthesis, floor planning, place and route, and sign-off.
• Collaborate with RTL/logic designers to drive architectural feasibility studies and explore PPA tradeoffs.
• Develop and refine physical design methodologies.
• Evaluate 3rd party IP and provide integration recommendations.
• Perform congestion analysis, IR drop analysis, and physical verification (ECO).

Requirements

• BS + 8 years or MS + 6 years in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science.
• 6+ years in ASIC Physical Design (RTL-to-GDSII) in 7nm, 14/16nm, 20nm, or 28nm.
• Proficiency with EDA tools such as Cadence, Synopsys, or Mentor Graphics.
• Experience scripting with Python, Perl, Bash, or PowerShell.
• Deep understanding of sign-off activities including timing, IR/EM, and physical verification.

Nice to have

• Experience in mentoring, leading, or managing junior engineers.
• Expertise in developing custom flows for synthesis and formal verification.
• 4+ years of experience in integrating IP and driving physical domain requirements.
• Thorough knowledge of device physics and semi-custom implementation.
• Experience solving design challenges for DDR, PCIe, and fabrics.

Culture & Benefits

• Competitive package including base salary, sign-on payments, and RSUs.
• Comprehensive health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription).
• 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave.
• Support for mental health and flexible spending accounts.
• Startup-like team environment with a focus on high-impact, world-changing results.