Sr. Staff HW Engineer – ASIC Implementation

Location: Cleveland, OH or Los Gatos, CA

Position Overview

We are seeking an experienced Staff ASIC Implementation Engineer to lead and drive digital implementation across our DSP ASIC programs. This role drives RTL integration through synthesis, timing analysis, and tapeout readiness, including evaluating and optimizing for performance, power, and area (PPA) while working with RTL and verification teams and coordinating with external backend partners responsible for place-and-route through GDS release. This is a hands-on technical leadership role, coordinating implementation efforts across small internal engineering teams and external backend partners to deliver successful first-pass silicon.

Key Responsibilities

Digital Implementation

• Perform and debug lint, CDC, and RDC checks, including development of automation and scripts to run and analyze results
• Drive RTL-to-synthesis implementation flows, including development of automation and scripts to support these flows
• Develop timing constraints (SDC) ensuring correctness and alignment with backend implementation and timing closure objectives
• Perform synthesis to support design exploration and PPA optimization
• Develop and maintain power intent specifications (UPF) and support low-power implementation
• Perform RTL power analysis and optimization, and assist with gate-level power analysis, debug, and RTL-to-gate power correlation
• Analyze timing reports to identify root causes of timing violations and drive timing closure
• Work with RTL engineers to identify and implement RTL changes required to meet timing, power, and implementation requirements
• Support and lead design readiness reviews prior to backend implementation kickoff
  
  

Backend Coordination

• Serve as the primary technical interface with external backend implementation teams
• Provide technical oversight of backend place-and-route activities and guide timing, congestion, and implementation closure strategy
• Review backend implementation metrics, timing closure progress, and physical design results
• Track and coordinate resolution of implementation issues identified during physical design
  
  

Timing Closure and Tapeout Readiness

• Support timing closure and design optimization across RTL and implementation flows
• Ensure designs meet timing, power, and integration requirements prior to tapeout
• Support final integration, signoff readiness, and tapeout preparation
  
  

Cross-Team Collaboration

• Work closely with RTL design teams, verification teams, and backend implementation vendors
• Coordinate implementation activities across small internal engineering teams and external backend partners
• Coordinate implementation activities and track engineering progress using project management tools (e.g., Jira), including organizing engineering sprints and maintaining visibility of implementation tasks across internal and external teams
• Interface with project management teams to support development and tracking of implementation schedules, including defining tasks, milestones, and resource requirements using industry-standard planning tools (e.g., Microsoft Project or similar)
• Identify, communicate, and help drive resolution of technical risks that may impact implementation schedules or tapeout readiness
  
  

Implementation Methodology and Tool Flow

• Develop and maintain digital implementation flows, automation, and supporting scripts
• Improve synthesis, timing analysis, and integration methodologies
• Collaborate with EDA vendors to resolve tool issues and improve flow efficiency
  
  

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field
• 10 years of experience in ASIC digital implementation
• Strong experience with RTL-to-synthesis flows (Design Compiler, Fusion Compiler)
• Deep understanding of static timing analysis and timing closure (PrimeTime)
• Experience with low-power implementation methodologies including UPF
• Experience performing RTL power analysis and optimization (RTL Architect, PrimePower, PrimePower RTL)
• Experience debugging post-layout timing issues and guiding resolution with backend implementation teams
• Experience supporting or driving designs through successful ASIC tapeout
• Strong scripting skills (Tcl, Python) for automation and analysis of implementation flows
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with place-and-route and physical design flows
• Experience working with external backend implementation vendors
• Experience with high-throughput datapath or DSP-based designs
• Familiarity with advanced technology nodes (7nm and below)