SIC Physical Design, Manager

Alternate Job Titles
Physical Design Lead
ASIC Physical Design Manager
Backend Design Manager
Place and Route Manager
Physical Implementation Manager
We Are
Synopsys is the leader in engineering solutions from silicon to systems, enabling customers to rapidly innovate AI-powered products. We deliver industry-leading silicon design, IP, simulation and analysis solutions, and design services. We partner closely with our customers across a wide range of industries to maximize their R&D capability and productivity, powering innovation today that ignites the ingenuity of tomorrow.
You Are
You have spent a decade in physical design, and you know that the difference between a chip that tapes out clean and one that burns months in respins is usually a decision made during floorplanning that nobody questioned hard enough. You are the person who questions it. You have closed timing on designs running north of 2 GHz, and you understand that at those frequencies, every picosecond matters and every SI issue that looks small in simulation becomes a showstopper in silicon.
Managing a team is not about delegation for you. It is about building engineers who can see three steps ahead, who understand why a clock tree decision today affects yield six months from now. You are comfortable in the gap between what the spec says and what will actually work. When a design review surfaces a conflict between performance targets and physical constraints, you pull the right people together, sketch the tradeoffs, and drive to a decision the team can execute against.
You know the Synopsys toolchain deeply because you have lived in it. ICC2, Fusion Compiler, PrimeTime, these are instruments you have tuned to deliver results on 7nm, 5nm, and 3nm nodes where the margin for error is measured in atoms. At Synopsys, you will lead physical design for the interconnect technology that makes AI infrastructure possible.
What You'll Be Doing
Lead the complete physical design flow for high-speed die-to-die interconnect chips operating at 2 GHz and above, from RTL handoff through tape-out
Drive floorplanning, power planning, clock tree synthesis, place-and-route, and physical verification on advanced nodes including 7nm, 5nm, and 3nm
Own timing closure across all corners and modes, working with front-end teams to resolve critical paths and ensure SI/PI integrity
Build, manage, and mentor a global physical design team, setting technical direction and developing engineers at multiple levels
Collaborate with architecture, design, verification, and package teams to align physical implementation with product requirements and manage milestones
Champion automation and methodology improvements using Tcl, Python, and Perl scripts that increase team productivity and design quality
The Impact You Will Have
Deliver the physical implementation for high-bandwidth, ultra-low latency chip-to-chip communication that powers AI training and inference infrastructure
Set the standard for advanced-node physical design quality and methodology across Synopsys silicon engineering
Drive multiple successful tape-outs on cutting-edge process nodes, ensuring first-pass silicon success
Shape the physical design tool flows, automation frameworks, and best practices adopted across the organization
Grow a team of engineers who become the next generation of technical leaders in physical design
Advance Synopsys' position as a leader in AI silicon innovation through interconnect technology that enables next-generation systems
What You'll Need
10+ years of hands-on experience in physical design with deep expertise in high-frequency chip implementation and timing closure
Proven track record leading physical design on advanced process nodes including 7nm, 5nm, or 3nm with multiple successful tape-outs
Expert-level proficiency with Synopsys physical design tools including ICC2, Fusion Compiler, PrimeTime, StarRC, and RedHawk
Strong scripting and automation skills in Tcl, Python, and Perl for flow development
Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field, PhD is a strong plus
Experience managing and mentoring engineering teams with a history of developing talent
Who You Are
You can spot the physical constraint that will break the schedule in three weeks and explain the fix to both the engineer and the program manager in terms each needs to hear
You build teams by teaching people how to think through a problem, not just how to run a tool
You manage multiple tape-outs across geographies without losing track of critical milestones or creating process overhead that slows the team down
When a design is stuck, you make a call with the information you have and move forward with a plan the team can execute
The Team You'll Be Part Of
You will join a global Silicon Engineering team focused on AI silicon and high-speed interconnect technologies. The team collaborates across functions and geographies, working closely with architecture, design, verification, and product teams to deliver the physical implementation for chips that enable the next generation of AI infrastructure.
Rewards and Benefits
We offer a comprehensive range of health, wellness, and financial benefits to cater to your needs. Our total rewards include both monetary and non-monetary offerings. Your recruiter will provide more details about the salary range and benefits during the hiring process.