ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Freelance Physical Design Engineer Jobs in Spring Grove, IL

IEA

Senior Design Engineer

Kenosha, WI

The Sr. Design Engineer will be responsible for carrying out the duties of the Design Engineering ... Physical Demands: Maximum lifting requirement (pounds): 10 (seldom). Maximum moving requirement ...

Astec Industries

Design Engineer

Burlington, WI

We offer programs that support physical safety, as well as benefits and resources to enhance total ... Administer design history and practice proper engineering document control processes to ensure ...

Astec Industries

Design Engineer

Burlington, WI · On-site

We offer programs that support physical safety, as well as benefits and resources to enhance total ... Administer design history and practice proper engineering document control processes to ensure ...

MacLean-Fogg

Senior Tool Design Engineer

Mundelein, IL

$43.27 - $52.88/hr

The Senior Tool Design Engineer is also responsible for mentoring junior engineers, providing ... Virtual physical therapy through Hinge Health. * On-demand access to earned wages through PayActiv.

Cadence Design Systems Inc.

Lead Design Engineer

Cary, IL · On-site

$104K - $136K/yr

Cadence's employee-friendly policies focus on the physical and mental well-being of employees ... Interface with Front End RTL design teams and Back End Verification teams Position Requirements ...

Cadence Design Systems, Inc.

Application Engineer

Cary, IL · On-site

$74K - $137K/yr

The opportunity to learn from the technical experts, sales and application engineers who provide ... Digital physical design and implementation * Sign-off for timing, IR drop, power analysis, SI ...

Eliyan

CAD - Staff AMS CAD Engineer

Mundelein, IL

As an Eliyan Staff AMS CAD Engineer , you will be working at a fast-paced startup creating ... Setup PV Flows - Establish and maintain Physical Verification flows including FILL, DRC, LVS, PERC ...

Eliyan

Digital - SerDes Digital Design Lead

Mundelein, IL

$138K/yr

... with physical design and timing closure teams on advanced FinFET/GAA process nodes * Collaborate ... D in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related fields * 12+ years of experience in ...

Eliyan

DV - Director of Design Verification

Mundelein, IL

$138K - $169K/yr

Partner with design, architecture, DFT, and physical design teams to drive micro-architecture ... D in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related fields * 15+ years of experience in ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

All JobsPhysical Design Engineer JobsFreelance Physical Design Engineer JobsFreelance Physical Design Engineer Jobs in Spring Grove, IL

Freelance Physical Design Engineer information

See Spring Grove, IL salary details

$14

$47

$132

How much do freelance physical design engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 1, 2026, the average hourly pay for freelance physical design engineer in Spring Grove, IL is $47.90, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $24.38 and $62.02 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Freelance Physical Design Engineer vs Full-Time Physical Design Engineer?

AspectFreelance Physical Design EngineerFull-Time Physical Design Engineer
CredentialsTypically requires a relevant degree and industry experience; certifications are optionalRequires a degree and often certifications or ongoing training
Work EnvironmentIndependent, project-based, remote or on-siteCompany office or dedicated team environment
Employer & Industry UsageHired by multiple clients across various companies; flexible engagementsEmployed by a single company; stable employment
Work ScopeSpecific projects, often short-termOngoing responsibilities within a team or department

The main difference between a Freelance Physical Design Engineer and a Full-Time Physical Design Engineer lies in employment type, work environment, and project scope. Freelancers work independently on short-term projects for multiple clients, offering flexibility. Full-time engineers are employed by a single company, focusing on continuous, long-term responsibilities within a team.

What are Freelance Physical Design Engineers?

Freelance Physical Design Engineers are specialized professionals who work independently, often on a contract basis, to design and implement the physical layout of integrated circuits (ICs) and chips. They are responsible for taking a digital circuit design and transforming it into a manufacturable physical layout, which includes tasks such as floorplanning, placement, routing, timing analysis, and verification. These engineers typically use electronic design automation (EDA) tools and collaborate remotely with semiconductor companies, startups, or design teams. Freelance Physical Design Engineers offer flexibility and specialized expertise for projects without requiring long-term employment commitments.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Freelance Physical Design Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Freelance Physical Design Engineer, you need expertise in ASIC/FPGA physical design, knowledge of VLSI concepts, and a degree in electrical or electronics engineering. Familiarity with EDA tools such as Cadence, Synopsys, or Mentor Graphics, and experience with scripting languages like TCL or Python are typically required. Strong problem-solving, communication, and time management skills help freelancers efficiently collaborate with clients and meet project deadlines. These skills and qualities are vital for delivering high-quality chip designs and succeeding in a competitive, project-based environment.

What are some common challenges faced by freelance physical design engineers, and how can they be addressed?

Freelance physical design engineers often encounter challenges such as limited access to advanced EDA tools, variable project scopes, and the need to quickly adapt to different clients' design methodologies. To address these, it’s important to invest in personal tool licenses or partner with clients who provide access, maintain a strong network to secure consistent projects, and stay updated on industry trends and technologies. Effective communication and documentation also help ensure alignment with client expectations and avoid misunderstandings during the project lifecycle.
What are the most commonly searched types of Physical Design Engineer jobs in Spring Grove, IL? The most popular types of Physical Design Engineer jobs in Spring Grove, IL are:
What cities near Spring Grove, IL are hiring for Freelance Physical Design Engineer jobs? Cities near Spring Grove, IL with the most Freelance Physical Design Engineer job openings:
Freelance Physical Design Engineer jobs near you

PD - IP Lead - Sr Staff, Physical Design

Eliyan

Mundelein, IL

$138K - $142K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 22 days ago

Job description

Join the leading chiplet startup! As an Eliyan Sr Staff / Principal Physical Design Engineer, you will be working at a fast-paced early-stage startup creating technologies that fuel tomorrow’s chiplet based systems with best-in-class power, area, manufacturability, and design flexibility. You will drive the development of cutting-edge ASICs from RTL to GDSII.  You will work with a cross-functional team of industry experts that operate from first principles, innovate, and push the envelope to create high-volume and high-performance manufacturable products. In this role, you will oversee and optimize the entire design flow, including synthesis, place-and-route (PNR), static timing analysis (STA), electromigration/IR drop analysis (EM/IR), and physical verification (PV – DRC, LVS, Antenna). You will also focus on developing and improving design flows and methodologies to ensure high-quality, on-time delivery. We offer a fun work environment with excellent benefits.
Responsibilities:
  • Define and execute IP block and partition physical design strategy across projects, aligning schedules, resources, and milestones to company tapeout goals.
  • Lead mixed signal placement and routing, enforcing analog keepouts, shielding, and DRC aware methodologies while integrating digital logic cleanly.
  • Own system and block integration for floorplanning, power, placement, CTS, and constraints, ensuring consistent interfaces across hierarchy and reuse
  • Drive end to end IP physical implementation from RTL handoff through GDSII, managing iterations, ECOs, and closure plans across corners
  • Develop and maintain block specific flow customizations for synthesis, PNR, EM IR, STA, and physical verification to improve QoR and predictability
  • Deliver robust constraints methodology, pushing timing intent from system to block and back, maintaining mode and corner correctness for signoff
  • Run and close subsystem signoff including STA, EM IR, SI, DRC, LVS, antenna, and metal fill, meeting reliability and manufacturability requirements
  • Optimize clock architecture and CTS for skew, latency, and power, including skew group definitions and balancing across library corners
  • Collaborate with front end, DFT, packaging, and manufacturing to resolve integration risks, test mode impacts, and physical interface requirements
  • Provide clear status, risk, and mitigation reporting to leadership, using metrics driven dashboards for PPA, convergence, and schedule predictability
Minimum Qualifications:
  • Expertise in physical design, timing closure, and signoff for small to large ASIC IP blocks, including mixed signal integration and subsystem closure ownership
  • Strong hands-on experience with floorplanning, power planning, placement, CTS, routing, EM IR, STA, and PV signoff across MMMC scenarios
  • Proven ability to improve flows through automation and scripting, with disciplined debug skills and data driven QoR and runtime optimization mindset
  • Excellent cross functional leadership and communication skills to drive alignment, technical reviews, and closure decisions under aggressive timelines

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.