Physical Design Engineer - Block Level, Subsystem Implementation

Etched • San Jose, CA

8h • Onsite

About The Position

Etched is building a new category of AI hardware: frontier inference clusters. As a Physical Design Engineer, you will own block-level implementation from synthesis through GDSII sign-off. You will drive Block-level & Subsystem PPA Optimization, and collaborate closely with RTL designers to provide actionable feedback, ensuring we iterate at unprecedented speeds to bring our products to market.

Requirements

• 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 (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
• Scripting ability in Tcl, Python, or Perl for flow automation and debug
• Deeply creative and able to think from first principles

Nice To Haves

• 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

Responsibilities

• Own block-level and/or subsystem physical design end to end, including floorplanning, synthesis, placement, clock tree synthesis, and routing through GDSII.
• Drive block-level timing closure across all corners and modes, including constraint development, STA debug, and functional and timing ECO implementation.
• Close block-level signoff across EM, IR drop, RC extraction and correlation, and physical verification (DRC, LVS, antenna).
• Generate abstracts, views, and timing budgets for clean hierarchical integration of your blocks into the top level.
• Collaborate with RTL Designers and provide Physical Design feedback to improve PPA.
• Continuously improve the PPA of owned blocks and contribute learnings back into the shared RTL-to-GDSII flow.
• Supervise physical design work outsourced to 3rd party services and be accountable for the quality and closure of delivered blocks.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision packages with generous premium coverage
• $500 per month credit for waiving medical benefits
• Housing subsidy of $2k 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 and dinner in our office
• Unlimited compute budget subject to ROI justification

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed