Physical Design Engineer Jobs in San Diego, CA
Physical Design Engineer jobs in San Diego are concentrated in Sorrento Valley, UTC, and Torrey Pines, where defense electronics, semiconductor, and wireless technology companies cluster. Employers hiring right now include Qualcomm, Apple, and Meta. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 91+ Physical Design Engineer jobs
DESCRIPTION
Be part of Amazon Leo’s sub-team responsible for defining and implementing the digital chip SOCs for communications via Low Earth Orbit satellites and Amazon gateways. This is a unique opportunity to define a groundbreaking wireless solution with few legacy constraints. The team works with customer requirements and wireless system teams to define modems, high-speed interfaces, embedded processors, and DSP solutions in latest CMOS generation technologies.
Export Control Requirement:
Due to applicable export control laws and regulations, candidates must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.
Key job responsibilities
- Work with RTL/logic designers to drive architectural feasibility studies, explore power-performance-area tradeoffs for physical design closure
- Drive IO/Core block physical implementation through synthesis, floor planning, bus / pin planning, place and route, power/clock distribution, congestion analysis, timing closure, IR drop analysis, physical verification, ECO and sign-off
- Develop physical design methodologies while embracing AI flow
- Evaluate 3rd party IP and provide recommendations
- Be a highly-valued member of our start-up like team through excellent collaboration and teamwork with other physical design engineers as well as with the RTL/Arch. Teams
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field
- 5+ years of experience in ASIC implementation, i.e., synthesis, STA and working with DFT, P&R for deep sub-micron nodes.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Master's degree in Electrical or Communications Engineering or a related field
- Experience using managed ML/AI solutions
- 7+ years of experience in ASIC implementation.
- Experience of working with RFA team integrating RF/Analog/Mixed signal blocks with digital top flows.
- Strong exposure to UPF flow for low power design.
- Experience of working in multi-site/multi-team environment.
Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.
Los Angeles County applicants: Job duties for this position include: work safely and cooperatively with other employees, supervisors, and staff; adhere to standards of excellence despite stressful conditions; communicate effectively and respectfully with employees, supervisors, and staff to ensure exceptional customer service; and follow all federal, state, and local laws and Company policies. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness and professionalism, and safeguard business operations and the Company’s reputation. Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.
The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.
USA, CA, San Diego - 153,600.00 - 215,000.00 USD annually
DESCRIPTION
Be part of Amazon Leo’s sub-team responsible for defining and implementing the digital chip SOCs for communications via Low Earth Orbit satellites and Amazon gateways. This is a unique opportunity to define a groundbreaking wireless solution with few legacy constraints. The team works with customer requirements and wireless system teams to define modems, high-speed interfaces, embedded processors, and DSP solutions in latest CMOS generation technologies.
Export Control Requirement:
Due to applicable export control laws and regulations, candidates must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (i.e., current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.
Key job responsibilities
- Work with RTL/logic designers to drive architectural feasibility studies, explore power-performance-area tradeoffs for physical design closure
- Drive IO/Core block physical implementation through synthesis, floor planning, bus / pin planning, place and route, power/clock distribution, congestion analysis, timing closure, IR drop analysis, physical verification, ECO and sign-off
- Develop physical design methodologies while embracing AI flow
- Evaluate 3rd party IP and provide recommendations
- Be a highly-valued member of our start-up like team through excellent collaboration and teamwork with other physical design engineers as well as with the RTL/Arch. Teams
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field
- 5+ years of experience in ASIC implementation, i.e., synthesis, STA and working with DFT, P&R for deep sub-micron nodes.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Master's degree in Electrical or Communications Engineering or a related field
- Experience using managed ML/AI solutions
- 7+ years of experience in ASIC implementation.
- Experience of working with RFA team integrating RF/Analog/Mixed signal blocks with digital top flows.
- Strong exposure to UPF flow for low power design.
- Experience of working in multi-site/multi-team environment.
Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.
Los Angeles County applicants: Job duties for this position include: work safely and cooperatively with other employees, supervisors, and staff; adhere to standards of excellence despite stressful conditions; communicate effectively and respectfully with employees, supervisors, and staff to ensure exceptional customer service; and follow all federal, state, and local laws and Company policies. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness and professionalism, and safeguard business operations and the Company’s reputation. Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.
The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.
USA, CA, San Diego - 153,600.00 - 215,000.00 USD annually
See All 91 Physical Design Engineer Jobs in San Diego
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Find Physical Design Engineer JobsPhysical Design Engineer Job Market in San Diego
Who's Hiring
- Qualcomm36
- Apple27
- Meta9
- Amazon9
- InnoPhase IoT9
Top Industries Hiring
- Electronics & Hardware36
- Telecommunications9
- Technology & Software9
- Consulting & Professional Services9
Physical Design Engineer Jobs in San Diego: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a physical design engineer job in San Diego?
San Diego's physical design engineer market is driven by semiconductor companies, defense contractors, and wireless technology firms concentrated in Sorrento Valley, UTC, and the Torrey Pines corridor. Candidates with hands-on experience in timing closure, place-and-route, or low-power design for mobile or defense applications stand out locally. Familiarity with tools common in RF and mixed-signal environments gives applicants a concrete edge over generalists.
Which companies hire physical design engineers in San Diego?
Companies currently hiring physical design engineers in San Diego include Qualcomm, Apple, and Meta, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. San Diego's employer base skews toward fabless semiconductor firms, defense electronics primes, and wireless chipset developers, many of which maintain large in-house physical design teams.
Are there remote physical design engineer jobs in San Diego?
Yes, though remote opportunities are limited because physical design work often requires access to secure EDA tool environments and collaboration with on-site hardware teams. About 0% of physical design engineer openings tied to San Diego are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, with hybrid arrangements most common for backend verification and signoff tasks that don't require physical lab access.
How can I get a physical design engineer job in San Diego with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in San Diego is targeting associate or junior physical design roles at mid-size fabless semiconductor companies in Sorrento Valley, which often hire new graduates from UCSD or San Diego State for place-and-route support work. Internships at local defense electronics firms also convert frequently to full-time offers. Building proficiency in Cadence Innovus or Synopsys ICC2 and completing a tapeout project, even in an academic context, signals readiness to local hiring teams.
Which industries hire the most physical design engineers in San Diego?
Most physical design engineer openings in San Diego sit in Electronics & Hardware, Telecommunications, and Technology & Software, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. San Diego's concentration of wireless chipset development, Navy and defense program work, and consumer electronics R&D creates consistent demand across all three sectors.
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