Physical Design Engineer Jobs in Massachusetts
Physical Design Engineer jobs in Massachusetts are in steady demand, concentrated in semiconductor design, defense electronics, and advanced computing hardware, with openings for candidates from entry-level layout roles through senior principal engineers. The largest hiring clusters are in the Greater Boston area, Woburn, and Burlington, where established employers such as Analog Devices, Raytheon, and Broadcom maintain significant engineering operations. The most sought-after specialties include place-and-route, static timing analysis, and low-power physical implementation. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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AMD is powering the next generation of supercomputing, high-performance computing, cloud, and AI. Whether you’re designing next-gen processors, enabling AI breakthroughs, or creating go-to-market plans, every role at AMD contributes to something bigger — technology that moves the world forward.
THE ROLE:
THE PERSON:
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Contribute to the physical design and implementation of high-speed SRAM and memory structures for advanced CPU products.
- Work closely with architecture, RTL, circuit design, and physical design teams to optimize power, performance, area, and schedule.
- Perform floorplanning, placement, clock tree synthesis, routing, timing closure, and design optimization activities.
- Analyze and resolve implementation, timing, power, and signoff challenges.
- Develop creative solutions to complex design and tool-related problems.
- Contribute to methodology and flow improvements that increase design quality and efficiency.
- Create and deliver technical presentations, design reviews, and documentation for engineering teams and management.
Support physical verification, extraction, reliability analysis, and design signoff activities.
PREFERRED EXPERIENCE:
- Experience with high-speed SRAM design, memory design, or memory-centric physical implementation.
- Strong understanding of CPU, cache, or other performance-critical digital designs.
- Strong understanding of computer architecture, hardware design concepts, and performance, power, and area tradeoffs.
- Knowledge of chip-level floorplanning, bus and pin planning, clock tree synthesis, placement, optimization, routing, and timing closure.
- Experience with parasitic extraction, static timing analysis, physical verification, and design signoff methodologies.
- Familiarity with power integrity analysis, including IR-drop and electromigration.
- Ability to comprehend complex Verilog RTL and make modifications to support timing, power, or implementation objectives.
- Knowledge of digital circuits, including high-speed flops, synchronizers, level shifters, and SRAM.
- Experience using industry-standard EDA tools for physical design and implementation.
- Familiarity with scripting or programming languages such as Tcl, Perl, C, Python, or similar.
ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS:
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field preferred.
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Qualifications:AMD does not accept unsolicited resumes from headhunters, recruitment agencies, or fee-based recruitment services. AMD and its subsidiaries are equal opportunity, inclusive employers and will consider all applicants without regard to age, ancestry, color, marital status, medical condition, mental or physical disability, national origin, race, religion, political and/or third-party affiliation, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We encourage applications from all qualified candidates and will accommodate applicants’ needs under the respective laws throughout all stages of the recruitment and selection process.
AMD may use Artificial Intelligence to help screen, assess or select applicants for this position. AMD’s “Responsible AI Policy” is available here.
This posting is for an existing vacancy.
AMD is powering the next generation of supercomputing, high-performance computing, cloud, and AI. Whether you’re designing next-gen processors, enabling AI breakthroughs, or creating go-to-market plans, every role at AMD contributes to something bigger — technology that moves the world forward.
THE ROLE:
THE PERSON:
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Contribute to the physical design and implementation of high-speed SRAM and memory structures for advanced CPU products.
- Work closely with architecture, RTL, circuit design, and physical design teams to optimize power, performance, area, and schedule.
- Perform floorplanning, placement, clock tree synthesis, routing, timing closure, and design optimization activities.
- Analyze and resolve implementation, timing, power, and signoff challenges.
- Develop creative solutions to complex design and tool-related problems.
- Contribute to methodology and flow improvements that increase design quality and efficiency.
- Create and deliver technical presentations, design reviews, and documentation for engineering teams and management.
Support physical verification, extraction, reliability analysis, and design signoff activities.
PREFERRED EXPERIENCE:
- Experience with high-speed SRAM design, memory design, or memory-centric physical implementation.
- Strong understanding of CPU, cache, or other performance-critical digital designs.
- Strong understanding of computer architecture, hardware design concepts, and performance, power, and area tradeoffs.
- Knowledge of chip-level floorplanning, bus and pin planning, clock tree synthesis, placement, optimization, routing, and timing closure.
- Experience with parasitic extraction, static timing analysis, physical verification, and design signoff methodologies.
- Familiarity with power integrity analysis, including IR-drop and electromigration.
- Ability to comprehend complex Verilog RTL and make modifications to support timing, power, or implementation objectives.
- Knowledge of digital circuits, including high-speed flops, synchronizers, level shifters, and SRAM.
- Experience using industry-standard EDA tools for physical design and implementation.
- Familiarity with scripting or programming languages such as Tcl, Perl, C, Python, or similar.
ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS:
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field preferred.
#LI-LC3
#LI-HYBRID
Qualifications:AMD does not accept unsolicited resumes from headhunters, recruitment agencies, or fee-based recruitment services. AMD and its subsidiaries are equal opportunity, inclusive employers and will consider all applicants without regard to age, ancestry, color, marital status, medical condition, mental or physical disability, national origin, race, religion, political and/or third-party affiliation, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We encourage applications from all qualified candidates and will accommodate applicants’ needs under the respective laws throughout all stages of the recruitment and selection process.
AMD may use Artificial Intelligence to help screen, assess or select applicants for this position. AMD’s “Responsible AI Policy” is available here.
This posting is for an existing vacancy.
See All 6 Physical Design Engineer Jobs in Massachusetts
Find roles in Massachusetts that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Physical Design Engineer JobsPhysical Design Engineer Jobs by City in Massachusetts
Where Massachusetts roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Physical Design Engineer Job Market in Massachusetts
A snapshot from current Massachusetts openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Electronics & Hardware
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What Massachusetts Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in physical design engineer jobs across Massachusetts.
- Bachelor's or master's degree in electrical engineering or a closely related field
- Hands-on experience with industry-standard place-and-route tools such as Cadence Innovus or Synopsys ICC2
- Proficiency in static timing analysis and timing closure across multiple process nodes
- Experience with low-power design techniques including clock gating and power domain implementation
- Strong scripting skills in Tcl or Python for flow automation and design analysis
- Familiarity with physical verification tools including DRC, LVS, and antenna checking
Physical Design Engineer Jobs in Massachusetts: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a physical design engineer in Massachusetts?
A bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or a related field is the standard entry requirement, and many Massachusetts employers prefer candidates with a master's degree for senior roles. Physical design engineering carries no state-issued license in Massachusetts, so hiring is driven by demonstrated tool proficiency and relevant coursework or industry experience. Strong preparation includes internships at Massachusetts semiconductor or defense electronics firms and a portfolio showing layout or timing closure work.
Which companies hire physical design engineers in Massachusetts?
Companies currently hiring physical design engineers in Massachusetts include Lightmatter, AMD, and Apple, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. Massachusetts's concentration of semiconductor design centers and defense electronics contractors means physical design roles appear across a range of employer sizes, from global chipmakers to specialized design houses in the Greater Boston corridor.
Which Massachusetts cities have the most physical design engineer jobs?
The cities with the most physical design engineer openings in Massachusetts are Boston, Waltham, and Westford. The concentration reflects Greater Boston's dense cluster of semiconductor firms and defense electronics contractors, while suburban locations such as Woburn and Burlington host major design centers for companies that chose those corridors for proximity to Route 128 engineering talent.
Are there remote physical design engineer jobs in Massachusetts?
Yes, but they're less common than in purely software-focused engineering roles, because physical design work often requires access to proprietary EDA tool licenses, secure design environments, and lab resources. About 67% of physical design engineer openings tied to Massachusetts are remote or hybrid as of September 2026. The portions of the role most likely to be performed remotely include scripting, timing analysis review, and design collateral documentation.
How can I get hired as a physical design engineer in Massachusetts with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is a graduate-level role or internship at a Massachusetts semiconductor or defense electronics employer, where companies such as Analog Devices and Raytheon regularly bring on new engineers through structured associate programs and co-op pipelines fed by Massachusetts universities. Candidates can also move laterally from adjacent roles such as RTL design, FPGA implementation, or verification engineering. A strong academic project involving place-and-route or a publicly documented chip tape-out gives candidates a concrete edge in initial screenings.
Where can I find and apply to physical design engineer jobs in Massachusetts?
You can find and apply to physical design engineer jobs in Massachusetts on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings tied to the state. Find roles that match your experience and specialization, then apply directly to the ones that fit.
See All 6 Physical Design Engineer Jobs in Massachusetts
Find roles in Massachusetts that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Physical Design Engineer Jobs