Senior Principal Engineer, Physical Design (Semiconductor)

Location: Austin, TX, United States

Expected base pay: $179,900–$266,180 per year, plus eligibility for bonus and equity plans.

Company

hirify.global develops semiconductor solutions and custom processor/ASIC technologies for enterprise, cloud, AI, carrier, server, 5G/6G, and networking applications.

What you will do

• Lead RTL-to-GDSII implementation for multiple SoC programs, including synthesis, floorplanning, power grid design, place and route, clock tree synthesis, timing closure, signoff, and DRC/LVS verification.
• Shape the long-term vision for physical design infrastructure, methodologies, flows, and automation.
• Provide technical direction for complex, high-performance SoC projects and ensure successful tapeouts.
• Build and develop a high-performing physical design organization through team structuring, hiring, mentoring, performance management, and career development.
• Manage schedules, resources, risks, customer requirements, and cross-functional alignment.
• Collaborate with design teams, CAD teams, and EDA vendors to evaluate and deploy tools and technologies.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
• 15+ years of progressive experience in back-end physical design and verification, including significant leadership experience.
• Proven experience leading and scaling physical design teams, managing complex SoC projects, and delivering tapeouts under aggressive schedules.
• Deep expertise in hierarchical physical design, advanced process-node challenges, ASIC design flow, RTL integration, synthesis, timing closure, and modern EDA tools.
• Programming and scripting proficiency with Makefile, Tcl, Python, or Perl for design automation and flow robustness.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, including the ability to influence cross-functional teams and executive stakeholders.

Nice to have

• Familiarity with AI/ML-driven optimization in physical design tools.

Culture & Benefits

• Bonus and equity plans, including a new-hire equity grant and annual equity refreshers.
• Employee stock purchase plan with a two-year lookback.
• Family support programs and mental and physical health resources.
• Recognition and service awards.
• Applicants may need to complete a U.S. export license review before accessing export-controlled technology or software.

Hiring process

• Interviews evaluate individual experience, thought process, and communication skills.
• AI tools, transcription apps, automated note-taking bots, and real-time answer generators are not permitted during interviews.