Senior Staff CAD Engineer

Job Description

Job Title: Senior Staff CAD Engineer

Position Description: Protingent Staffing has an exciting contract Senior Staff CAD Engineer with our client located in San Jose, CA.

Job Description:

• We are looking for a senior IC EDA/CAD Engineer to own and advance our EDA design flows, IT infrastructure, and signoff methodologies.
• You will be the technical authority on our EDA environment, setting up and maintaining advanced FinFET PDKs (e.g., 2nm or 3nm), Cadence analog/mixed-signal design flows, and digital implementation environments.
• You will play a critical role in ensuring first-time-right silicon by developing, deploying, and supporting industry-standard backend signoff flows across RF, Analog, High-Speed IO, and Digital SoC chips.
  
  
  

Job Responsibilities:

• PDK & Environment Setup: Install, qualify, and maintain advanced foundry PDKs (2nm/3nm FinFET nodes) and manage the use of the underlying IT infrastructure, compute clusters and grid utilization, license utilization.
• Analog/Mixed-Signal Flow Development: Establish, optimize, and support the Cadence Design Systems front-to-back design environment (Virtuoso, Innovus) tailored for RF, analog, and high-speed IO interfaces.
• Physical Verification & Signoff: Create, automate, and maintain robust chip-level and IP signoff flows using Siemens Calibre for DRC/LVS and Synopsys StarRC for parasitic extraction.
• Advanced Reliability Verification: Deploy and support Electro-migration/IR-drop (EMIR) simulation flows and Programmable Electrical Rule Checking (PERC) to guarantee reliability at advanced nodes.
• Automation & Support: Develop and maintain scripts and utilities that eliminate manual toil, standardize flows across projects, and reduce tool integration friction; act as the primary interface to EDA vendors for issue escalation and roadmap alignment.
  
  
  

Job Qualifications:

• Education & Experience: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field with 5 years of hands-on IC CAD experience.
• Advanced Node Expertise: Direct experience managing PDKs and signoff flows for advanced FinFET technologies (5nm, 3nm, or 2nm).
• Tool Proficiency: Deep operational knowledge of Siemens Calibre (DRC, LVS, PERC), Synopsys StarRC, and the Cadence Virtuoso/Innovus ecosystem.
• Scripting & Automation: Strong scripting ability in SKILL and Perl; working proficiency in Python, Tcl, and Bash/Shell for flow automation and tool integration.
• Systems & Infrastructure: Solid command of Linux, experience with compute grid/cluster management (e.g., LSF, SGE), and version control systems (e.g., Perforce, ICManage).
  
  
  

Nice To Have:

• Working knowledge of advanced node design challenges: multi-patterning, dummy fill effects, and layout-dependent effects (LDE) and DFM sign-off.
• Background in custom layout or circuit design, allowing for deep empathy and effective collaboration with design engineers.
• Familiarity with foundry engagement processes: design rule waiver requests, PDK issue reporting, and process qualification cycles.
• Proactive problem-solving mindset with excellent communication skills to support a multi-disciplinary team.
  
  
  

Job Details:

• Job Type: Contract
• Pay Range: $65 - $75 an hour.
• Location: San Jose, CA (Onsite).
  
  
  

Benefits Package: Protingent offers competitive salaries, insurance plan options (HDHP plan or POS plan), education/certification reimbursement, pre-tax commuter benefits, Paid Time Off (PTO), and an administered 401k plan.

About Protingent: Protingent is an Award-Winning provider of top-tier Engineering and IT talent, trusted by companies at the forefront of innovation — from Software and Aerospace to AI, Clean Tech, Medical Devices, and Connected Technologies. We’re passionate about making a positive impact by connecting exceptional talent with meaningful opportunities and helping our clients build the future.