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Physical Design Engineer Intern Jobs in California

The PJF Group

Physical Design Engineer

Bodega Bay, CA · On-site

$180K - $230K/yr

We're looking for a hands-on Physical Design Engineer to support complex SoC projects for our client who designs and delivers advanced System-on-Chip solutions across multiple emerging technologies.

The PJF Group

Physical Design Engineer

Bodega Bay, CA · On-site

$161K - $166K/yr

We're looking for a hands-on Physical Design Engineer to support complex SoC projects for our client who designs and delivers advanced System-on-Chip solutions across multiple emerging technologies.

CivicMinds, Inc.

Physical Design Engineer

San Diego, CA · On-site

$145K - $150K/yr

Physical design engineers are ideally creative, motivated, energetic, pleasant to work with, and put the needs of the team first. These candidates will be responsible for designs and test structures ...

Gumloop

Design Engineer Intern

San Francisco, CA · On-site

Role Overview We're looking for a Design Engineering Intern to help shape, design, and build high-craft product experiences end to end. This role sits at the intersection of product, design, and ...

Mirafra Technology

Physical Design Engineer

San Diego, CA

$144K - $148K/yr

Job Overview: The Graphics team is looking for Experienced Physical Design Engineers to work on Adreno Graphics cores in the area of Physical Implementation. Responsibilities: The Physical ...

Xforia, Inc.

Physical Design Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$162K - $166K/yr

Physical Design Engineer Location: Sunnyvale, CA Note: Highlighted skills are must to have. JD: • 10+ years of hands-on experience for block level Implementation activities(Netlist to GDS II and ...

Etched

Physical Design Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$150K - $275K/yr

Job Summary Etched is looking for exceptional Physical Design engineers to join our team. In this role, you will own block-level implementation and verification, drive timing closure and PPA ...

Etched

Physical Design Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$150K - $275K/yr

Job Summary Etched is looking for exceptional Physical Design engineers to join our team. In this role, you will own block-level implementation and verification, drive timing closure and PPA ...

The Consensus

Physical Design Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$180 - $240/hr

Job Summary Etched is looking for exceptional Physical Design engineers to join our team. In this role, you will own block-level implementation and verification, drive timing closure and PPA ...

Broadcom

Physical Design Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$159K - $164K/yr

Broadcom is searching for a Physical IC Design Engineer to join the Data Center Solutions Group at our main campus in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This position involves working with the latest ...

Broadcom

Physical Design Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$159K - $164K/yr

Broadcom is searching for a Physical IC Design Engineer to join the Data Center Solutions Group at our main campus in Colorado Springs, Colorado.This position involves working with the latest ...

Mirafra Technology

Physical Design Engineer

San Diego, CA

$144K - $148K/yr

Physical Design Engineer Location : San Diego,CA Type : Full Time Job Overview: To do Floor planning, P&R, timing closure SI prevention/fixing, power planning, CTS, PV and I/R drop for Block as well ...

Altera

Physical Design Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$133K - $192K/yr

About the Role We are seeking a Physical Design Engineer to join our Silicon Engineering and Physical Design organization. In this role, you will be responsible for implementing advanced custom IP ...

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Physical Design Engineer Intern information

What skills and qualifications are needed to thrive as a physical design engineer intern?

To thrive as a Physical Design Engineer Intern, you generally need a solid background in electrical engineering, digital circuit design, and semiconductor fundamentals, often supported by ongoing university studies in a related field. Familiarity with industry-standard EDA tools such as Cadence, Synopsys, or Mentor Graphics, as well as scripting languages like TCL or Python, is highly valuable. Attention to detail, problem-solving abilities, and effective teamwork are crucial soft skills for excelling in this role. These skills and qualifications are important because they ensure accurate chip layouts, efficient workflows, and successful collaboration within complex engineering teams.

What types of projects and tasks can a physical design engineer intern expect to work on during their internship?

As a Physical Design Engineer Intern, you will typically be involved in supporting the design and verification of integrated circuits at the physical level. Common tasks include assisting with floorplanning, placement and routing, timing analysis, and running design rule checks using industry-standard EDA tools. You may also participate in team meetings, collaborate with senior engineers, and help resolve issues related to power, performance, and area optimization. These hands-on experiences are designed to help you build practical skills and gain a deeper understanding of the physical design flow in VLSI chip development.

What is a physical design engineer intern?

A physical design engineer intern is a student or entry-level professional gaining hands-on experience in the physical implementation of integrated circuits, including tasks like floorplanning, placement, routing, and timing analysis. They typically work with electronic design automation (EDA) tools and collaborate with engineering teams to optimize chip performance and manufacturability.

What does a physical design engineer intern do?

A Physical Design Engineer Intern assists in the process of transforming a circuit design (RTL) into a real, manufacturable layout for semiconductor chips. They work on tasks such as floorplanning, placement, routing, timing analysis, and verifying that the chip design meets all physical and electrical requirements. Interns typically use electronic design automation (EDA) tools to perform these tasks and collaborate with experienced engineers. Their work is crucial in ensuring that chips are both functional and manufacturable at scale.

What is the difference between Physical Design Engineer Intern vs Digital Design Engineer Intern?

AspectPhysical Design Engineer InternDigital Design Engineer Intern
Required CredentialsTypically pursuing or holding a degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer EngineeringTypically pursuing or holding a degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering
Work EnvironmentDesigning and implementing physical chip layouts, working with EDA toolsDesigning digital logic circuits, working on HDL coding and simulation
Industry UsageFoundries, semiconductor companies, integrated circuit design firmsSemiconductor companies, integrated circuit design firms, tech companies

Physical Design Engineer Interns focus on translating digital logic designs into physical layouts for chips, working closely with EDA tools. Digital Design Engineer Interns concentrate on creating and simulating digital logic circuits using hardware description languages. Both roles are essential in chip development but differ in their specific tasks and focus areas.

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 Physical Design Engineer Intern jobs in California? For Physical Design Engineer Intern jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Physical Design Engineer Intern jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Physical Design Engineer Intern jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Physical Design Engineer Intern jobs? Cities in California with the most Physical Design Engineer Intern job openings:
Physical Design Engineer Intern jobs near you
Infographic showing various Physical Design Engineer Intern job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 77% Full Time, 17% Part Time, 2% Temporary, 2% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 98% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 1% Remote job distribution.

Physical Design Engineer

The PJF Group

Bodega Bay, CA • On-site

$180K - $230K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 12 days ago

Job description

We're looking for a hands-on Physical Design Engineer to support complex SoC projects for our client who designs and delivers advanced System-on-Chip solutions across multiple emerging technologies. They provide high-performance custom solutions for cutting-edge applications. You'll collaborate with customers, frontend, and integration teams to ensure successful tape-outs, contributing across all phases of physical design.

Profile of preferred candidate includes 10 + years of hands-on experience, custom ASIC, strong communication skills, experience with multiple tape outs from inception, small company experience. Hands on physical design and synthesis experience, owning development from end to end is required.

Local candidates are preferred.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Pre-layout STA for feasibility and timing constraint validation
  • Chip/block-level floor planning and pin assignment
  • Clock spec review and clock tree synthesis
  • Placement, routing, and timing optimization
  • Sign-off tasks: RC extraction, STA, IR-drop analysis, and physical verification
  • Customer meetings and technical presentations




Why is This a Great Opportunity

Leading custom ASIC and SoC development company with a pipeline of new technology projects for top companies. Employees are real contributors, often working independently or as part of a small team. Will work of full project lifecycle from inception to tapeout.

Qualifications:

  • BSEE with 5+ years experience; MSEE preferred
  • Strong experience in ASIC physical design and SoC development (28nm/16nm)
  • Proficient in ICC2/Innovus, scripting (Perl/Tcl/Python)
  • Knowledge of frontend design and hierarchical layouts
  • Familiar with power/IR-drop tools (PrimePower/Redhawk) and STA (PrimeTime)
  • Skilled in PV tools and debugging PV errors
  • Excellent communication and problem-solving skills