Physical Design Engineer Jobs in Tennessee
Physical Design Engineer jobs in Tennessee are concentrated in the semiconductor, defense electronics, and consumer technology sectors, with demand ranging from mid-level RTL implementation roles to senior-level timing closure and place-and-route leads. Nashville, Knoxville, and Memphis anchor the most active hiring markets in the state, where companies like Infineon Technologies, Eastman Chemical, and HII Mission Technologies maintain significant engineering operations. The most sought-after specializations include physical implementation for custom SoCs, power integrity analysis, and static timing analysis on advanced process nodes. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Showing 4 of 6+ Physical Design Engineer jobs
PDS 6 / Power Delivery Substation
This position is not eligible for recruiting or sourcing by outside parties.
Disclaimer: Be cautious and only respond to emails from our “mesainc.com” domain. We will never ask for sensitive information, such as bank account details, SSN, etc., via email. If you receive any communication asking for such information, it is not from Mesa. For any concerns, or to verify the authenticity of a message, please contact us through our official channels.
We have the power to energize YOUR career and spark YOUR Work/Life Balance through professional development and exceptional benefits. Don’t delay, plug in today for an inclusive meaningful career in power, distribution, transmission, engineering, design, technology, or innovation at Mesa Associates, Inc.
Mesa seeks a Senior Physical Design Engineer to be responsible for supervising the design and checking of deliverables associated with a high voltage substation design projects. Candidate must be familiar with the design of One Line Diagrams, Substation Layouts, Foundation Plans, Conduit/Raceway Plans, Grounding Plans, Bills of Materials, and Cable Schedules. The design will be completed using Autodesk products, mainly Inventor and AutoCAD.
Responsibilities
- Provide mentorship and training for junior level team members
- Must be able to complete assignments within budget and schedule with a high degree of accuracy
- Utilize AutoCAD based physical design standards
- Performs technical preparation of deliverables and other project documents
- Ensures deliverables comply with IEEE and/or client standards and meet applicable design requirements
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering (ABET Accredited)
- 8-12 years experience in the design of substation physical design deliverables
- Proficiency in verbal and written communication
- Proficiency with layout designs in 2D
Preferred Qualifications
- Expertise utilizing AutoCAD and/or Inventor
- Knowledge of Power Systems or Substation Design
- Keen interest in learning and using the latest Autodesk software tools, methods, and technologies to develop Power Substation design
- Proficiency with layout designs in 3D
This opportunity is a hybrid arrangement located in Mesa's Knoxville, TN office. A fully remote arrangement may be considered for highly qualified candidates located in the Southeast region of the United States.
Notice to External Search Firms: Mesa Associates, Inc. and its subsidiaries do not accept unsolicited resumes and will not be obligated to pay a placement fee for unsolicited resumes. Mesa Associates, Inc. Talent Acquisition engages with approved search firms directly for specific hiring needs.
Experience
Required- 8 - 12 years: Experience in the design of substation physical design deliverables
Education
Required- Bachelors or better in Electrical Engineering or related field
- Bachelors or better in Mechanical Engineering or related field
Licenses & Certifications
Required- Prof Engineering (PE)
Behaviors
Required- Leader: Inspires teammates to follow them
- Team Player: Works well as a member of a group
- Detail Oriented: Capable of carrying out a given task with all details necessary to get the task done well
Motivations
Preferred- Ability to Make an Impact: Inspired to perform well by the ability to contribute to the success of a project or the organization
- Growth Opportunities: Inspired to perform well by the chance to take on more responsibility
- Work-Life Balance: Inspired to perform well by having ample time to pursue work and interests outside of work
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights (https://www.eeoc.gov/poster) notice from the Department of Labor.
PDS 6 / Power Delivery Substation
This position is not eligible for recruiting or sourcing by outside parties.
Disclaimer: Be cautious and only respond to emails from our “mesainc.com” domain. We will never ask for sensitive information, such as bank account details, SSN, etc., via email. If you receive any communication asking for such information, it is not from Mesa. For any concerns, or to verify the authenticity of a message, please contact us through our official channels.
We have the power to energize YOUR career and spark YOUR Work/Life Balance through professional development and exceptional benefits. Don’t delay, plug in today for an inclusive meaningful career in power, distribution, transmission, engineering, design, technology, or innovation at Mesa Associates, Inc.
Mesa seeks a Senior Physical Design Engineer to be responsible for supervising the design and checking of deliverables associated with a high voltage substation design projects. Candidate must be familiar with the design of One Line Diagrams, Substation Layouts, Foundation Plans, Conduit/Raceway Plans, Grounding Plans, Bills of Materials, and Cable Schedules. The design will be completed using Autodesk products, mainly Inventor and AutoCAD.
Responsibilities
- Provide mentorship and training for junior level team members
- Must be able to complete assignments within budget and schedule with a high degree of accuracy
- Utilize AutoCAD based physical design standards
- Performs technical preparation of deliverables and other project documents
- Ensures deliverables comply with IEEE and/or client standards and meet applicable design requirements
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering (ABET Accredited)
- 8-12 years experience in the design of substation physical design deliverables
- Proficiency in verbal and written communication
- Proficiency with layout designs in 2D
Preferred Qualifications
- Expertise utilizing AutoCAD and/or Inventor
- Knowledge of Power Systems or Substation Design
- Keen interest in learning and using the latest Autodesk software tools, methods, and technologies to develop Power Substation design
- Proficiency with layout designs in 3D
This opportunity is a hybrid arrangement located in Mesa's Knoxville, TN office. A fully remote arrangement may be considered for highly qualified candidates located in the Southeast region of the United States.
Notice to External Search Firms: Mesa Associates, Inc. and its subsidiaries do not accept unsolicited resumes and will not be obligated to pay a placement fee for unsolicited resumes. Mesa Associates, Inc. Talent Acquisition engages with approved search firms directly for specific hiring needs.
Experience
Required- 8 - 12 years: Experience in the design of substation physical design deliverables
Education
Required- Bachelors or better in Electrical Engineering or related field
- Bachelors or better in Mechanical Engineering or related field
Licenses & Certifications
Required- Prof Engineering (PE)
Behaviors
Required- Leader: Inspires teammates to follow them
- Team Player: Works well as a member of a group
- Detail Oriented: Capable of carrying out a given task with all details necessary to get the task done well
Motivations
Preferred- Ability to Make an Impact: Inspired to perform well by the ability to contribute to the success of a project or the organization
- Growth Opportunities: Inspired to perform well by the chance to take on more responsibility
- Work-Life Balance: Inspired to perform well by having ample time to pursue work and interests outside of work
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights (https://www.eeoc.gov/poster) notice from the Department of Labor.
See All 6 Physical Design Engineer Jobs in Tennessee
Find roles in Tennessee that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Physical Design Engineer JobsPhysical Design Engineer Jobs by City in Tennessee
Where Tennessee roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Physical Design Engineer Job Market in Tennessee
A snapshot from current Tennessee openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Consulting & Professional Services
What Tennessee Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in physical design engineer jobs across Tennessee.
- Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or closely related field required
- Proficiency in place-and-route tools such as Cadence Innovus, Synopsys ICC2, or equivalent
- Hands-on experience with static timing analysis and timing closure across multiple process nodes
- Familiarity with physical verification flows including DRC, LVS, and antenna rule checks
- Ability to work with standard-cell libraries and understand memory architecture constraints
- Strong scripting skills in Tcl, Python, or Perl to automate physical design tasks
Physical Design Engineer Jobs in Tennessee: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a physical design engineer in Tennessee?
A bachelor's degree in electrical or computer engineering from an accredited program is the standard entry point for physical design engineer roles in Tennessee. Unlike licensed professions, the role carries no state-issued license or registration requirement in Tennessee. Employers in the state's semiconductor and defense electronics sectors look for hands-on training in EDA toolflows, which candidates typically build through university coursework, internships at Tennessee research institutions, or co-op programs with manufacturers in the Knoxville and Nashville corridors.
Which companies hire physical design engineers in Tennessee?
Employers hiring physical design engineers in Tennessee right now include Mesa Associates and Mesa Associates, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Tennessee's defense electronics and semiconductor manufacturing base, particularly around Knoxville and Nashville, supports consistent demand from both large OEMs and the contract design firms that serve them.
Which Tennessee cities have the most physical design engineer jobs?
Knoxville and Chattanooga are the Tennessee cities with the most physical design engineer openings. Nashville leads because of its growing technology and defense contracting presence, Knoxville draws from proximity to Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the University of Tennessee's engineering programs, and Memphis benefits from its logistics-driven electronics and manufacturing operations that require embedded chip design support.
Are there remote physical design engineer jobs in Tennessee?
Yes, but they're less common than in purely software-focused fields because physical design work often requires access to licensed EDA tools hosted on secure on-premises servers and collaboration with lab teams validating silicon. About 17% of physical design engineer openings tied to Tennessee are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, with fully remote arrangements most often attached to backend implementation and scripting-heavy roles rather than tape-out or lab verification work.
How can I get hired as a physical design engineer in Tennessee with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is a co-op or internship through the University of Tennessee's EECS department or Tennessee Tech's electrical engineering program, both of which have established pipelines to regional employers. New graduates should target associate physical design or ASIC implementation engineer titles at defense contractors and semiconductor firms in the Knoxville and Nashville areas. Building a portfolio of place-and-route projects using open-source PDKs and demonstrating Tcl or Python scripting ability gives candidates a concrete edge when applying to entry-level openings.
Where can I find and apply to physical design engineer jobs in Tennessee?
You can find and apply to physical design engineer jobs in Tennessee on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings across the state. Search for roles that match your experience level and specialization, then apply directly through the listing. No profile creation or sign-up is required to see the jobs or start an application.
See All 6 Physical Design Engineer Jobs in Tennessee
Find roles in Tennessee that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Physical Design Engineer Jobs