Physical Design Engineer Jobs in San Jose, CA
Physical Design Engineer jobs in San Jose are highly active, concentrated in North San Jose, Santa Clara border corridors, and the downtown tech core, across semiconductor, EDA software, and fabless chip design sectors. Leading employers hiring right now include Apple, Broadcom, and Etched. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Showing 5 of 40+ Physical Design Engineer jobs
Location: San Jose CA/San Diego CA/ Santa Clara CA/ Austin TX/ Chandler AZ
Job Description:
- 5-10+ years of previous experience with PD
- Tools, flow, and design methodology from RTL synthesis to GDSII sign-off
- Experience with back-end design and timing closure on advanced process nodes (5nm and below)
- Experience with Cadence (Innovus, Genus) or Synopsys (ICC2, Fusion Compiler)
- Automated RTL-to-GDSII flows
- Experience with sign-off tools (PrimeTime, Tempus, Voltus, etc.)
- Experience with UPF-based low power design methodology, power verification, synthesis, scan insertion/ATPG, formal verification, floorplanning, placement, CTS, routing, IR drop, and EM/antenna analysis
- Deeply creative and able to think from first principles
Location: San Jose CA/San Diego CA/ Santa Clara CA/ Austin TX/ Chandler AZ
Job Description:
- 5-10+ years of previous experience with PD
- Tools, flow, and design methodology from RTL synthesis to GDSII sign-off
- Experience with back-end design and timing closure on advanced process nodes (5nm and below)
- Experience with Cadence (Innovus, Genus) or Synopsys (ICC2, Fusion Compiler)
- Automated RTL-to-GDSII flows
- Experience with sign-off tools (PrimeTime, Tempus, Voltus, etc.)
- Experience with UPF-based low power design methodology, power verification, synthesis, scan insertion/ATPG, formal verification, floorplanning, placement, CTS, routing, IR drop, and EM/antenna analysis
- Deeply creative and able to think from first principles
See All 40 Physical Design Engineer Jobs in San Jose
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Find Physical Design Engineer JobsPhysical Design Engineer Job Market in San Jose
Who's Hiring
- Apple12
- Broadcom6
- Etched4
- Astera Labs4
- Cisco3
Top Industries Hiring
- Electronics & Hardware
- Technology & Software
- Consulting & Professional Services
Physical Design Engineer Jobs in San Jose: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a physical design engineer job in San Jose?
Focus your search on San Jose's semiconductor and fabless chip design ecosystem, which is denser here than almost anywhere else in the country. North San Jose and the corridor toward Santa Clara concentrate the most hiring, with roles at chip companies ranging from startups to large foundry partners. Candidates with hands-on experience in place-and-route tools, timing closure, and low-power design techniques stand out in this market.
Which companies hire physical design engineers in San Jose?
Companies currently hiring physical design engineers in San Jose include Apple, Broadcom, and Etched, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. San Jose's hiring base skews heavily toward fabless semiconductor firms, EDA tool vendors, and IP licensing companies, making it one of the most concentrated physical design job markets in the country.
Are there remote physical design engineer jobs in San Jose?
Yes, though remote availability is limited by the hands-on nature of the role. Physical design engineering often requires access to licensed EDA tools, secure compute clusters, and collaboration with on-site verification teams, which keeps most roles at least partially on-site. About 22% of physical design engineer openings tied to San Jose are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, with remote work most common for upstream floorplanning and scripting tasks rather than tapeout-critical work.
How can I get a physical design engineer job in San Jose with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in San Jose is through an internship or junior role at a fabless semiconductor startup, where smaller teams give early-career engineers hands-on exposure to full chip flows faster than large companies typically do. San Jose's concentration of EDA vendors also hires application engineers who support physical design tools, which is a strong lateral move for candidates building foundational skills before moving into a core design role.
Which industries hire the most physical design engineers in San Jose?
Most physical design engineer openings in San Jose sit in Electronics & Hardware, Technology & Software, and Consulting & Professional Services, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. San Jose's role as the geographic center of Silicon Valley means semiconductor IP development, custom silicon design for cloud infrastructure, and EDA tooling all draw heavily from the same local talent pool, sustaining consistent demand across those sectors.
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