Sr Principal Physical Design

Business Line Description:

- NXP's MPU Engineering (ACE) team is a central engineering organization responsible for developing and delivering Systems-on-a-Chip (SoCs) for NXP's Automotive, Edge, and Radar Processing business lines. MME's SoC Hardware Architecture team produces architectural solutions covering the very wide-range of SoCs required by the business lines. The team is challenged to produce industry-leading solutions covering very cost-sensitive, low power devices to highly-integrated, high performance, multi-domain devices compliant with the latest automotive and industrial safety and security standards.

We are seeking an experienced  Digital Designer for Physical Design for advanced semiconductor products. This role will own end-to-end physical design execution across complex designs, driving delivery from RTL to silicon for cutting-edge technology nodes.
The ideal candidate demonstrates  deep technical expertise to implement a given design on silicon with optimized quality and meeting PPA targets.

Key Responsibilities
1. End-to-End Physical Design Ownership

- Lead Physical design execution including floorplanning, synthesis, place & route, CTS, routing, STA, PDN, PDV and signoff.

- Drive timing, power, IR/EM, and physical verification closure to achieve tapeout readiness.

- Deliver optimized PPA (Power, Performance, Area) across complex designs.

- Aligns with internal expectations of implementing designs on silicon with optimal quality, PPA, and cost efficiency
2. Team Leadership & Organization Development

- Participate in mentoring and career development.

- Role-Model  execution discipline, review mechanisms, and performance tracking.

- Interface with senior leadership for status reporting, escalation, and decision-making.
3. Technical Strategy & Innovation

- Define and deploy next-generation physical design methodologies.

- Drive automation, flow optimization, and tool innovation.

- Lead adoption of advanced node technologies (5nm and beyond).

- Improve scalability, productivity, and design quality through methodology enhancements.
4. Cross-Functional & Ecosystem Engagement

- Collaborate with architecture, RTL, verification, and product teams to ensure design convergence.

- Interface with EDA vendors and IP providers for tool and flow optimization.

- Support post-silicon bring-up, yield improvement, and production ramp activities.
Core Technical Expertise

- Full RTL-to-GDSII implementation flow (Cadence and/or Synopsys tool sets)

- Floorplanning, synthesis, PNR, CTS, routing

- STA and signoff methodologies

- Physical verification (DRC/LVS/ERC)

- Advanced node implementation (≤ 16nm / 5nm)

- Low power design (UPF/CLP)

- Scripting in Python, TCL, and Perl
Required Qualifications

- Bachelor’s or Master’s in Electrical / Electronics Engineering or related field

- 10+ years of experience in ASIC / SoC physical design

- Strong knowledge of industry EDA tools (Synopsys, Cadence flows)

- Strong communication skills
Preferred Qualifications

- Experience in high-reliability SoCs

- Exposure to AI-driven design methodologies and automation
Why This Role Matters

- Own delivery of flagship SoCs at advanced nodes

- Drive innovation in physical design methodologies

- Direct impact on silicon success and product competitiveness

More information about NXP in India...

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