Physical Design Engineer

Etched is hiring a Physical Design Engineer in Austin, United States. It pays $200k-$300k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on Etched.

Level's read on this job

On Level's scale, this role is Builds AI ●●●●: the job is building AI systems.
Tools and skills the posting cites include Python, Cadence and Synopsys.
Level classifies it as a senior role.
Level lists 114 other open roles at Etched.

AI in this role

Own block-level implementation, timing closure, and PPA optimization for chips built for frontier intelligence and AI inference.

PythonCadenceSynopsysPrimetimeTempusVoltus

physical-designasicrtl-to-gdsiitiming-closureppa-optimization

About Etched

Etched is building hardware for frontier intelligence. We co-design chips, racks, software, and manufacturing to deliver best-in-class throughput and latency across both prefill and decode workloads. Our first products are heavily focused on inference. Backed by hundreds of millions from top-tier investors and staffed by leading engineers, Etched is redefining the infrastructure layer for the fastest growing industry in history.

Job Summary

Etched is looking for exceptional Physical Design engineers to join our team. In this role, you
will own block-level implementation and verification, drive timing closure and PPA optimization, supervise 3rd party design work, and help improve our design flows and iteration speed.

Key Responsibilities

Deeply understand what is involved in physical design
Running PD flows to close blocks, support ASIC infrastructure, automate PD flows,
improve CAD infrastructure
Collaborate with RTL Designers and provide Physical Design feedback to improve PPA
Drive dashboards that show the convergence of projects related to PD
Optimize tool flows, working with EDA vendors to incorporate the latest features
Accountable for block level closure
Supervise the outsourcing of physical design to a 3rd party service

You may be a good fit if you have

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

Strong candidates may also have experience with

Familiarity with modern ML and LLM model architectures
Ability to program with Python or another scripting language
Familiarity with AI tools for programming/coding
Startup experience or comfort working in fast-paced environments

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision packages with generous premium coverage
- $500 per month credit for waiving medical benefits
Various wellness benefits covering fitness, mental health, and more
Daily lunch + dinner in our office
Unlimited compute budget subject to ROI justification

How we’re different

Etched believes in the Bitter Lesson. We are the first inference-focused frontier AI system. Our addressable market is the entirety of inference, unlike many of our competitors.

We greatly value engineering skills. We do not have strict boundaries between engineering and research, and we expect all of our technical staff to contribute to both as needed.

This role is based in our Austin office, with regular time spent working alongside the team in San Jose. During the first quarter, expect to spend approximately two weeks per month at our San Jose headquarters to ramp quickly. After that, this shifts to roughly one week per month for ongoing collaboration.

How we rate this

Physical Design Engineer at Etched rates 85 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Builds AI (AI Level 4 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.

Classification

Builds AI. The job is building AI systems.

●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
●○○○ Little AI0 to 39

Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Read the description and count the AI tools, models and workflows it names.

Key facts

Physical Design Engineer is an open job at Etched.
Level rates this role AI Level 4 of 4: Builds AI.
The listed salary is $200k-$300k a year.
The role is based in Austin.
The job was posted on April 16, 2026.
Seniority: senior.
Applications are handled by Etched. Apply on Etched

Prepare for this job

Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.

Skills and AI tools this role asks for

Physical DesignAsicRtl To GdsiiTiming ClosurePpa OptimizationPythonCadenceSynopsys

Questions you could be asked

Tell me about a project where physical design was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where asic was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where rtl to gdsii was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where timing closure was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where ppa optimization was part of your work. What did you do?

Adapt your resume

List these exact terms on your resume: Physical Design, Asic, Rtl To Gdsii, Timing Closure, and Ppa Optimization. An applicant tracking system matches the wording, not the idea.
Attach one line of real, concrete experience to at least one of them. A tool named with nothing behind it rarely survives a human read.
Lead with what you built, trained or shipped. This role is judged on the AI system itself, not the tools around it.

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