Physical Design/CAD Engineer

San Jose, California, United StatesFull TimePosted 2 months agoVisa sponsorship available

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Role summary

Astera Labs is seeking a Physical Design/CAD Engineer to support the design of connectivity ASICs for leading cloud providers and OEMs. This role involves RTL to GDS ownership, including Synthesis, PnR, STA, and Signoff, with a focus on improving design flows and methodologies. Responsibilities include collaborating with cross-functional teams, defining specifications, and potentially owning block closure. The ideal candidate will have 2-10 years of experience in PnR and sign-off for complex SoCs, expertise in various physical design tools and flows, and strong scripting abilities in Tcl, Python, or Perl. Proficiency with Cadence and/or Synopsys toolchains is required.

Astera Labs (NASDAQ: ALAB) provides rack-scale AI infrastructure through purpose-built connectivity solutions. By collaborating with hyperscalers and ecosystem partners, Astera Labs enables organizations to unlock the full potential of modern AI. Astera Labs’ Intelligent Connectivity Platform integrates CXL®, Ethernet, NVLink, PCIe®, and UALink™ semiconductor-based technologies with the company’s COSMOS software suite to unify diverse components into cohesive, flexible systems that deliver end-to-end scale-up, and scale-out connectivity. The company’s custom connectivity solutions business complements its standards-based portfolio, enabling customers to deploy tailored architectures to meet their unique infrastructure requirements. Discover more at www.asteralabs.com.

As an Astera Labs Physical Design/CAD Engineer you will play a crucial role in driving the planning, coordination, and execution supporting the design of Astera Labs' portfolio of connectivity ASICs used in the world's leading cloud service providers, server and network OEMs. This role requires RTL to GDS ownership across design stages (Synthesis/PnR/STA/Signoff), deep technical expertise, and close collaboration with RTL and verification teams to ensure robust full-chip signoff. This role is fully on-site and in-person.

Key Responsibilities

As Physical Design CAD Engineer you will support and build flows for world class EDA tools.

Drive various Physical Design flow related activities, ensuring robust signoff across complex SoCs or sub-systems.

Architect and recommend flow improvements and enhance existing methodology for high performance design.

Good understanding of flow development related to backend tools like Synthesis/PnR/Extraction/DRC/LVS etc.

Work with cross function teams to define requirements and specifications to achieve best PPA

Opportunity to own a small block partition and closure (PnR, STA, DRC and LVS etc) based on interest and capacity

Partner closely with design, implementation, and verification teams to drive block/top convergence, providing sign-off level expertise and guidance.

Basic Qualifications

Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science required; Master’s preferred.

2-10 years of experience in PnR and sign-off for complex SoCs in Server, Storage, or Networking applications.

Expertise in PnR, Extraction, Timing closure, EM-IR, Formality and DRC/LVS at both block and full-chip level.

Strong knowledge of synthesis, place-and-route, extraction, and equivalence checking flows in advanced nodes (7nm or below).

Proficiency with Cadence and/or Synopsys physical design/STA toolchains.

Strong scripting ability (Tcl, Python, Perl).

Ability to work independently with strong prioritization and a professional, customer-focused mindset.

Preferred Experience

Knowledge of agentic AI solutions is a plus.

Experience working with EDA/IP vendors for both RTL and hard-macro integration.

Familiarity with high-speed SERDES and Ethernet PHY timing challenges.

Knowledge of ECO methodologies, DFT tools, and test coverage analysis.

Your base salary will be determined based on your experience and the pay of employees in similar positions. The base salary range is $135,000 USD - $165,000 USD for Senior Level, and $160,000 USD - $195,000 USD for Staff Level.

We know that creativity and innovation happen more often when teams include diverse ideas, backgrounds, and experiences, and we actively encourage everyone with relevant experience to apply, including people of color, LGBTQ+ and non-binary people, veterans, parents, and individuals with disabilities.

Ready to apply?

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