Principal Static Timing Analysis (STA) Engineer

Chelsea Search Group•Los Angeles, CA

20h

About The Position

We are seeking a highly experienced Principal STA Engineer to play a key technical leadership role in the development of next-generation semiconductor products. In this role, you will own complex blocks and full-chip STA analysis, and act as a technical authority within the Physical Design team. You will work closely with architecture, RTL, DFT, and signoff teams to deliver high-performance, low-power, and area-efficient designs in advanced technology nodes. This role is ideal for a senior individual contributor who thrives on solving the hardest physical design problems and mentoring other engineers.

Requirements

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or related field.
5+ years of experience in STA
Proven ownership of multiple successful tape-outs.
Strong hands-on experience with STA tools (PrimeTime/Tempus)
Deep understanding of: - Timing closure - Power integrity - Clocking methodologies - DFT timing requirements

Nice To Haves

Experience with AI accelerators, CPUs, GPUs, or high-speed SoCs.
Expertise in advanced nodes (5nm and below).
Knowledge of: - Low-power design techniques (UPF, power gating) - High-speed interfaces (DDR, HBM, PCIe) - Multi-voltage and multi-clock domains - Chiplet-based architectures

Responsibilities

Own end-to-end timing analysis for large blocks and full chip
Implement Foundry signoff into Tempus/Primetime signoff requirements
Validate SDC constraints
Generate custom timing reports
Produce timing ECOs for blocks and top level
Run back annotated IR timing analysis
Run Noise and crosstalk analysis
Act as a technical lead on STA
Define and review physical design methodologies and best practices.
Mentor and guide junior and senior PD engineers.
Lead design reviews and tape-out readiness.
Partner with RTL, Architecture, DFT, Analog, and Verification teams.
Provide early STA feedback on: - Micro-architecture - Timing budgets - Power and area tradeoffs
Drive implementation on advanced nodes (e.g., 7nm, 5nm, 3nm).
Handle complex designs including: - High-frequency datapaths - Large memory subsystems - Multi-clock and asynchronous domains - Super buffers clock trees