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Foundry Design Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Diamond Foundry

Mechanical Design Engineer

Bodega Bay, CA · On-site

$110K - $140K/yr

Diamond Foundry Inc. is solving the thermal limitation at the foundation of today's most exciting ... Diamond Foundry is looking for a highly experienced and innovative mechanical design engineer who ...

Diamond Foundry

Mechanical Design Engineer

Bodega Bay, CA · On-site

$110K - $140K/yr

Diamond Foundry Inc. is solving the thermal limitation at the foundation of today's most exciting ... Diamond Foundry is looking for a highly experienced and innovative mechanical design engineer who ...

SK hynix America

3D Stacked DRAM Design Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$121K - $150K/yr

Job Title: 3D Stacked DRAM Design Engineer Office Location: San Jose, CA Job Type: Full-Time Work ... Experience in full custom-based logic foundry design. * Expert in Python, and circuit simulators ...

Lightmatter

Foundry Engineer

Mountain View, CA · On-site

... foundry process technology, manufacturing and characterization for next-generation Lightmatter ... It also involves engaging with design and platform engineering teams in addition to the supply ...

Lightmatter

Foundry Engineer

Mountain View, CA · On-site

$180K - $212K/yr

... foundry process technology, manufacturing and characterization for next-generation Lightmatter ... It also involves engaging with design and platform engineering teams in addition to the supply ...

Teledyne FLIR LLC

Analog Design Engineer

Goleta, CA · On-site

$113K - $151K/yr

Responsible ensuring correct design implementation based on foundry PDK * Provide complete detailed final documentation to enable test engineering to develop test hardware and software to test IC as ...

Teledyne

Analog Design Engineer

Goleta, CA · On-site

$113K - $151K/yr

Responsible ensuring correct design implementation based on foundry PDK * Provide complete detailed final documentation to enable test engineering to develop test hardware and software to test IC as ...

TSMC

SRAM Design Engineer (7820)

San Jose, CA · Hybrid

As a SRAM Design Engineer, you will leverage industry-leading foundry process technologies and design enablement solutions to push the boundaries of silicon performance. This is a hands-on individual ...

TSMC

SRAM Design Engineer (7820)

San Jose, CA · On-site

As a SRAM Design Engineer, you will leverage industry-leading foundry process technologies and design enablement solutions to push the boundaries of silicon performance. This is a hands-on individual ...

Nvidia

CAD Engineer

Santa Clara, CA · Hybrid

You will support installation of foundry techfiles. You will provide expert support to designers in ... design. Excellent programming skills; experience with perl, Cadence SKILL, C++, tcl. Great ...

Nvidia Corporation

CAD Engineer

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

You will support installation of foundry techfiles. You will provide expert support to designers in ... design. * Excellent programming skills; experience with perl, Cadence SKILL, C++, tcl. * Great ...

Nvidia

CAD Engineer

Santa Clara, CA · Hybrid

You will support installation of foundry techfiles. You will provide expert support to designers in ... design. * Excellent programming skills; experience with perl, Cadence SKILL, C++, tcl. * Great ...

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All JobsFoundry Design Engineer JobsFoundry Design Engineer Jobs in California

Foundry Design Engineer information

See California salary details

$59.2K

$79.4K

$110K

How much do foundry design engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 13, 2026, the average yearly pay for foundry design engineer in California is $79,363.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $69,600.00 and $83,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a foundry design engineer?

Foundry Design Engineers are professionals who work on the design, development, and optimization of components and systems that will be manufactured in semiconductor foundries. They collaborate closely with process engineers, layout engineers, and fabrication teams to ensure that integrated circuits (ICs) and other semiconductor devices meet performance, quality, and manufacturability requirements. Their role often involves translating design specifications into layouts that can be reliably produced at scale, troubleshooting manufacturing issues, and implementing design-for-manufacturability (DFM) strategies. Foundry Design Engineers play a critical role in the semiconductor industry, bridging the gap between initial design and large-scale production.

What skills and qualifications are needed to be a foundry design engineer?

To thrive as a Foundry Design Engineer, you need a deep understanding of metallurgy, casting processes, and mechanical design principles, typically supported by a degree in mechanical or materials engineering. Familiarity with CAD software, simulation tools, and industry standards such as ISO or ASTM is essential, and certifications in Six Sigma or Lean Manufacturing can be advantageous. Attention to detail, problem-solving abilities, and effective communication help you collaborate with cross-functional teams and address production challenges. These skills and qualities are vital for ensuring high-quality, cost-effective castings that meet design specifications and support efficient manufacturing operations.

What challenges do foundry design engineers face when collaborating with manufacturing teams?

Foundry Design Engineers often encounter challenges in aligning design specifications with manufacturing capabilities, especially when transitioning from prototype to mass production. Effective communication is crucial, as even small design changes can impact tooling, process parameters, and yield rates. Close collaboration with manufacturing teams helps address potential issues early, but requires balancing technical requirements with practical constraints like cost, lead time, and equipment limitations. Proactive problem-solving and adaptability are key to ensuring designs are manufacturable and meet quality standards.

What is the difference between Foundry Design Engineer vs Casting Process Engineer?

AspectFoundry Design EngineerCasting Process Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's in Mechanical, Materials, or Metallurgical Engineering; CAD proficiencyBachelor's in Mechanical, Materials, or Metallurgical Engineering; process knowledge
Work EnvironmentDesign labs, CAD software, collaboration with foundriesManufacturing plants, process optimization, quality control
Industry UsageDesigning molds, casting components, product developmentOptimizing casting processes, improving quality, reducing defects

Foundry Design Engineers focus on creating molds and designing casting components using CAD tools, working closely with foundries. Casting Process Engineers concentrate on refining casting methods and processes to enhance quality and efficiency. Both roles require similar educational backgrounds but differ in daily tasks and work environments.

What cities in California are hiring for Foundry Design Engineer jobs?

Cities in California with the most Foundry Design Engineer job openings:

Infographic showing various Foundry Design Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Internship, 85% Full Time, 8% Part Time, 2% Temporary, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 84% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 11% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $79,363 per year, or $38.2 per hour.

Principal Physical Design Engineer, Methodology

San Jose, CA • On-site

Astera Labs
Semiconductor and Electronic Component Manufacturing • 11 - 50 employees
Learn more about Astera Labsexternal

$185K - $240K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 22 days ago

Job description

Role Overview 

As a Principal Physical Design Engineer - Methodology, you will define, develop, and maintain the reusable physical design flows and automation infrastructure that the entire PD team relies on. You will build the RTL-to-GDSII flow, integrate and qualify tools from multiple vendors (Cadence and Synopsys), and continuously improve PPA and schedule predictability across all programs. You are the force multiplier scaling the team's capabilities and enabling faster, better tapeouts. This role is fully on-site at our San Jose, CA location. 

Key Responsibilities:

  • Flow & Methodology Ownership
    • Define, develop, and maintain reusable physical design flows spanning synthesis, place-and-route, extraction, STA, and EMIR
    • Own the end-to-end RTL-to-GDSII flow infrastructure across multi-vendor toolchains (Cadence Innovus, Tempus, Voltus, Pegasus; Synopsys Fusion Compiler, ICC2, PrimeTime, StarRC)
    • Evaluate and qualify new tool features, foundry enablement kits, and flow enhancements to continuously improve PPA and schedule predictability
    • Integrate and maintain DRC/LVS/extraction runsets and ensure consistency with foundry requirements
  • Automation & Scale
    • Build and enhance automation scripts and infrastructure to manage large-scale multi-corner/multi-mode STA and EMIR runs with efficient partitioning and resource usage
    • Develop QoR optimization frameworks and tracking methodologies to measure and improve design quality across programs
    • Partner with IT and compute infrastructure teams to optimize job scheduling, storage, and compute resource utilization
  • Standards, Quality & Enablement
    • Establish best practices, runset standards, and quality checks that scale across multiple concurrent tapeout programs
    • Support physical design engineers with flow issues, tool configurations, and methodology guidance
    • Drive adoption of flow improvements across the team, including training and documentation

Basic Qualifications:

  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field; Masters Preferred. 
  • 8+ years of experience in physical design methodology, CAD, or flow development for complex SoCs at advanced nodes (7nm and below) 
  • Strong knowledge of synthesis, place-and-route, extraction, STA, and equivalence checking flows 
  • Experience with both Cadence (Innovus, Tempus, Voltus, Pegasus) and Synopsys (Fusion Compiler, PrimeTime, StarRC, ICC2) toolchains 
  • Expert-level scripting ability in Python, Tcl, and/or Perl for flow development and automation 
  • Experience building and maintaining multi-corner/multi-mode analysis infrastructure 
  • Understanding of foundry design rules, technology files, and enablement kit integration 
  • Ability to work independently with strong prioritization and a results-driven mindset 

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Knowledge of agentic AI solutions for EDA automation 
  • Experience with CI/CD integration for physical design flows 
  • Familiarity with compute farm management and job scheduling optimization 
  • Knowledge of advanced packaging or multi-die integration flows 

The base salary range is $185,000 to $240,000 depending on experience, level, and business need. This role may be eligible for discretionary bonus, incentives, and benefits.  

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