What are the responsibilities and job description for the ASIC Physical Design Engineer position at Efficient Computer?
If you are an ASIC Physical Design Engineer who wants to impact the transformation of the next evolution of computing, we would like to talk to you. Efficient is hiring a senior ASIC Physical Design Engineer with experience in backend implementation from Netlist to GDSII. We seek individuals to leverage low‑power techniques and design-technology co‑optimization in advanced technology nodes to build energy‑efficient SoCs.
This is a unique opportunity to get in at the ground level and have influence on our products as we move from initial stages of product development to market release and scaled volume production. Join our team and help us shape the future of computing at the edge and beyond!
Key Responsibilities
- Take ownership of the physical design of multi-hierarchy low-power designs in advanced technology nodes. This includes executing physical-aware logical synthesis, floor planning, place and route, clock tree synthesis, static timing analysis, ERC, IR drop analysis, electromagnetic analysis, and physical verification.
- Analyze, debug and fix placement-, cts-, routing-, and buffering- related design and flow issues, using semi-custom placement, route guides and other tool directives via scripts to converge design to PPA targets.
- Own and deliver designs meeting sign-off timing targets (setup / hold across multiple corners with OCV derating) within specified power envelope while managing constraints (sdc).
- Lead the integration of the partition / IP, analyze port, feedthrough, macro placements, review DRV, LVS, IR violations and adjust collateral for clean integration.
- Engage with the digital design team to understand the architecture to address congestion and timing issues through design modifications and functional Engineering Change Orders (ECOs).
- Engage with the DFT team to plan and provide early feedback on design decisions that relate to physical implementation.
- Create scripts for EDA tools to automate tasks and enhance the throughput and quality of the physical design process.
Required Qualifications
Preferred Qualifications
About Efficient :
Efficient is developing the world’s most energy-efficient general-purpose computer processor. Efficient’s patented technology uses 100x less energy than state of the art commercially available ultra-low-power processors and is programmable using standard high-level programming languages and AI / ML frameworks. This level of efficiency makes perpetual, pervasive intelligence possible : run AI / ML continuously on a AA battery for 5-10 years. Our platform’s unprecedented level of efficiency enables IoT devices to intelligently capture and curate first-party data to drive the next major computing revolution.
Efficient was established in 2022 as a spinout of Carnegie Mellon University and is currently building a world-class team of hardware and software engineers spanning from silicon implementation to compilers. With seed funding secured, a portfolio of patent-protected IP, and substantial progress on hardware and software development, Efficient delivered first silicon in mid-2024. Find out more about our story at
Working at Efficient :
We are a small, but mighty team, with team members spread across EffHQ in Pittsburgh, Silicon Valley, and New York City. We are a young company on a tremendous growth path. We aim to bring our team together, in-person often and camaraderie is key to our success. We have the tools and technology to keep us together and interactive as a remote team, as well.
We are dedicated to our core values : Adventure, Teamliness, Excellence, Impact, Determination, Integrity. Our core values define who we are as people, as a team and as a company and they are prevalent throughout our meetings, interactions, and culture.
Efficient offers a competitive compensation and benefits package, including 401K match, company-paid benefits, equity program, paid parental leave, flexibility, and more! We are committed to personal and professional development and strive to grow together as people and as a company.
