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Entry Level Physical Design Engineer Jobs in California

IC Package Design Engineer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site

$146K/yr

Description As a Package design engineer, you will lead advanced package architecture, drive next ... Proven experience in IC package physical design using Cadence Allegro or Mentor Xpedition platforms ...

As a Qualcomm ASIC Engineer, you will define, model, design (digital and/or analog), optimize, verify, validate, implement, and document IP (block/SoC) development for a variety of high performance ...

SoC Physical Design Engineer, PnR

San Jose, CA · On-site

$159K - $164K/yr

Description In Physical Design, you will be at the center of design effort collaborating with architecture, CAD, timing and logic design teams, with a critical impact on delivering best in class ...

SoC Physical Design Engineer, PnR

San Jose, CA · On-site

$159K - $164K/yr

Description In Physical Design, you will be at the center of design effort collaborating with architecture, CAD, timing and logic design teams, with a critical impact on delivering best in class ...

Description In Physical Design, you will be at the center of design effort collaborating with architecture, CAD, timing and logic design teams, with a critical impact on delivering best in class ...

Description In Physical Design, you will be at the center of design effort collaborating with architecture, CAD, timing and logic design teams, with a critical impact on delivering best in class ...

Description As a Package design engineer, you will lead advanced package architecture, drive next ... Proven experience in IC package physical design using Cadence Allegro or Mentor Xpedition platforms ...

Description As a Package design engineer, you will lead advanced package architecture, drive next ... Proven experience in IC package physical design using Cadence Allegro or Mentor Xpedition platforms ...

Description As a Package design engineer, you will lead advanced package architecture, drive next ... Proven experience in IC package physical design using Cadence Allegro or Mentor Xpedition platforms ...

SoC Physical Design Engineer, STA/Timing

San Jose, CA · On-site

$159K - $164K/yr

In this visible role, you will be directly responsible for the physical implementation of design ... Good programming skills with Perl and TCL. Experience with large design STA and Timing Closure.

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Entry Level Physical Design Engineer information

What does an Entry Level Physical Design Engineer do?

An Entry Level Physical Design Engineer works on the layout and implementation of integrated circuits (ICs), specifically focusing on translating logical circuit designs into physical layouts that can be manufactured. Their responsibilities often include tasks such as floorplanning, placement, routing, timing analysis, and design rule checking using specialized software tools. They collaborate with other engineers to ensure that the chip meets performance, power, and area requirements. Entry-level engineers are typically involved in supporting more experienced team members while learning industry-standard design flows and tools. This role plays a crucial part in bringing new electronic products to market.

What are some common challenges Entry Level Physical Design Engineers face when transitioning from academic projects to industry roles?

Entry Level Physical Design Engineers often find that real-world projects are larger in scale and complexity compared to academic assignments. Adapting to industry-standard tools like Cadence or Synopsys, managing strict deadlines, and collaborating within multidisciplinary teams can be challenging at first. Additionally, understanding and following established workflows, as well as dealing with the nuances of process technology and design constraints, require a steep learning curve. However, many companies provide mentorship and training to help new engineers integrate smoothly and develop their expertise.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an Entry Level Physical Design Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Entry Level Physical Design Engineer, you need a solid background in electrical engineering, digital logic design, and VLSI concepts, typically supported by a relevant bachelor’s or master’s degree. Familiarity with industry-standard tools like Cadence, Synopsys, or Mentor Graphics for layout, synthesis, and verification, as well as scripting languages such as TCL or Python, is essential. Strong problem-solving, teamwork, and attention to detail are standout soft skills for this role. These skills ensure the efficient translation of circuit designs into manufacturable layouts, driving successful chip development and collaboration in complex engineering environments.

What is the difference between Entry Level Physical Design Engineer vs Digital IC Design Engineer?

AspectEntry Level Physical Design EngineerDigital IC Design Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's in Electrical Engineering or Computer EngineeringBachelor's or Master's in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering
Work EnvironmentDesign teams, CAD tools, chip fabrication facilitiesDesign teams, simulation tools, hardware labs
Industry UsageFoundries, semiconductor companies, EDA firmsSemiconductor companies, integrated circuit design firms
Common Search IntentEntry level, physical implementation, chip layoutDigital logic, circuit design, RTL coding

Entry Level Physical Design Engineers focus on translating digital circuit designs into physical layouts, ensuring manufacturability and performance. Digital IC Design Engineers primarily work on designing digital circuits at the RTL level. While both roles require a background in electrical engineering and involve working with semiconductor companies, physical design emphasizes layout and fabrication, whereas digital design emphasizes circuit functionality and logic.

What are the most commonly searched types of Physical Design Engineer jobs in California? The most popular types of Physical Design Engineer jobs in California are:
What are popular job titles related to Entry Level Physical Design Engineer jobs in California? For Entry Level Physical Design Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Entry Level Physical Design Engineer jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Entry Level Physical Design Engineer jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Entry Level Physical Design Engineer jobs? Cities in California with the most Entry Level Physical Design Engineer job openings:
Infographic showing various Entry Level Physical Design Engineer job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 87% Full Time, 9% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 10% Remote job distribution.
Sr. Physical Design Engineer, Annapurna Labs

Sr. Physical Design Engineer, Annapurna Labs

Amazon

Cupertino, CA

Full-time

Re-posted 27 days ago


Amazon rating

7.4

Company rating: 7.4 out of 10

Based on 6,972 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

6th of 39 rated national retailers


Job description

Annapurna Labs designs silicon and software that accelerates innovation. Customers choose us to create cloud solutions that solve challenges that were unimaginable a short time ago-even yesterday. Our custom chips, accelerators, and software stacks enable us to take on technical challenges that have never been seen before, and deliver results that help our customers change the world.
Custom SoCs (System on Chip) live at the heart of AWS Machine Learning servers

As a member of the Cloud-Scale Machine Learning Acceleration team you'll be responsible for the design and optimization of hardware in our data centers including AWS Inferentia, Trainium Systems (our custom designed machine learning inference and training datacenter servers). Our success depends on our world-class server infrastructure; we're handling massive scale and rapid integration of emergent technologies. We're looking for an ASIC Physical Design Engineer to help us trail-blaze new technologies and architectures, while ensuring high design quality and making the right trade-offs.
Key job responsibilities
- Work with RTL/logic designers to drive architectural feasibility studies, explore power-performance-area tradeoffs for physical design closure
- Drive IO/Core subsystem/block physical implementation through synthesis, floor planning, bus / pin planning, place and route, power/clock distribution, congestion analysis, timing closure, IR drop analysis, physical verification, ECO and sign-off
- Develop physical design methodologies
- Evaluate 3rd party IP and provide recommendations
- Be a highly-valued member of our start-up like team through excellent collaboration and teamwork with other physical design engineers as well as with the RTL/Arch

teams


What Amazon employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom


Amazon logo

About Amazon

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Amazon.com, Inc., commonly known as Amazon, is an American multinational technology company. It was founded by Jeff Bezos in 1994 and initially started as an online marketplace for books. Since then, Amazon has expanded its operations and become one of the largest e-commerce companies in the world. Amazon's primary business is its online retail platform, where customers can purchase a vast array of products, including electronics, clothing, books, home goods, and much more. The company offers a convenient and user-friendly shopping experience, with features such as fast shipping, customer reviews, and personalized recommendations. In addition to its e-commerce platform, Amazon has diversified its business into various other areas. One of its notable ventures is Amazon Web Services (AWS), a comprehensive cloud computing platform that provides services such as storage, compute power, and database management to individuals and businesses. AWS has become a leader in the cloud computing industry, powering many websites and applications worldwide. Amazon has also developed its own consumer electronics, including the popular Amazon Kindle e-reader, Fire tablets, Fire TV streaming devices, and the Alexa-powered Echo smart speakers. The Alexa voice assistant, integrated into these devices, allows users to interact with their devices using voice commands, perform tasks, and access information. Furthermore, Amazon has expanded into media and entertainment. It operates Prime Video, a streaming service that offers a wide range of movies, TV shows, and original content. Amazon Music provides a platform for streaming and purchasing digital music, while Audible offers audiobooks and other audio content. The company's commitment to customer satisfaction and convenience is demonstrated by its membership program, Amazon Prime. Prime members receive various benefits, including free two-day shipping, access to streaming services, exclusive deals, and more.

Industry

It services, book publishers, retail, real estate and computer and electronic product manufacturing

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Seattle, WA, US