Job Summary

Physical Design CAD Support Engineer to support and optimize Physical Design EDA tools and flows for advanced silicon programs. Responsible for troubleshooting complex tool and methodology issues, providing Tier 2/3 support, and driving improvements in flow stability, automation, and design productivity. Strong expertise in Synopsys Fusion Compiler, PrimeTime, and Cadence Innovus

Key Responsibilities

Physical Design Tool & Flow Support

• Provide Tier 2 and Tier 3 support for Physical Design engineers across backend implementation and signoff flows.
• Support, maintain, and troubleshoot Physical Design methodologies, CAD infrastructure, and EDA tool environments.
• Investigate and resolve complex tool, flow, runtime, and design convergence issues impacting project schedules.
• Diagnose and debug failures related to floorplanning, placement, clock tree synthesis, routing, timing closure, physical verification, and signoff.
• Work directly with design teams to understand issues, reproduce failures, and drive resolution.

EDA Tool Expertise

• Act as a subject matter expert for Synopsys and Cadence Physical Design tools.
• Provide support for:
• Synopsys Fusion Compiler (FC)
• Synopsys PrimeTime (PT)
• Cadence Innovus
• Siemens Calibre (Physical Verification & Signoff)
• Analyze tool behavior, log files, databases, and performance bottlenecks to determine root causes.
• Engage with EDA vendors on tool defects, enhancement requests, and patch validations.

Debugging, Root Cause Analysis & Issue Resolution

• Perform detailed debugging of CAD flow failures and design-tool issues.
• Conduct root cause analysis for recurring flow and methodology problems.
• Drive corrective and preventive actions to improve overall flow robustness.
• Develop workarounds and permanent fixes for tool and methodology issues.
• Create troubleshooting guides and knowledge-base documentation for common issues.

CAD Flow Development & Automation

• Develop and enhance Physical Design CAD flows and methodologies.
• Create automation solutions using TCL, Python, Shell scripting, and workflow automation frameworks.
• Improve flow reliability, scalability, and runtime efficiency through automation and continuous improvements.
• Support tool deployment, release qualification, and regression validation activities.

Cross-functional Collaboration

• Partner with Physical Design, STA, DFT, CAD Methodology, and Silicon Engineering teams.
• Support project execution by ensuring stable and efficient implementation flows.
• Mentor junior engineers on debugging methodologies and CAD best practices.

Contribute to strategic improvements in CAD infrastructure and design methodologies.

Skill Requirements

Key Skills

Fusion Compiler | PrimeTime | Innovus | Siemens Calibre | Physical Design | CAD Flow Support | EDA Tools | Root Cause Analysis | Flow Debugging | Tier 2 Support | Tier 3 Support | Physical Verification | TCL | Python | Linux | Semiconductor CAD Methodology

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related discipline.
• 7+ years of experience in Physical Design, CAD Engineering, or EDA Tool Support.
• Strong hands-on expertise with: Synopsys Fusion Compiler, Synopsys PrimeTime, Cadence Innovus, Siemens Calibre.
• Deep understanding of Physical Design implementation flows and timing closure methodologies.
• Strong TCL, Python, and Linux scripting skills.
• Proven experience troubleshooting complex EDA tool and flow issues.
• Experience providing Tier 2/Tier 3 customer or engineering support.
• Excellent analytical, debugging, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with advanced-node designs (7nm, 5nm, 3nm, or below).
• Knowledge of low-power methodologies, UPF, EM/IR, and physical verification flows.
• Experience supporting enterprise CAD environments and distributed compute infrastructures.
• Familiarity with CI/CD, regression frameworks, and automated flow validation.
• Experience working directly with Synopsys and Cadence support organizations.

Other Requirements