This role will be on-site 5 days a week in NW Austin.ScopeWe're seeking an accomplished
Director of Physical Design to lead and scale our physical implementation organization for next-generation
ultra-low-power microcontroller (MCU) products. This is a strategic, high-impact leadership role responsible for driving the physical design roadmap, ensuring world-class PPA (power, performance, area), and delivering robust silicon for high-volume embedded applications.
You will guide a multidisciplinary team across physical implementation, methodology, and signoff, partnering closely with architecture, RTL design, analog/mixed-signal, verification, and product engineering to bring innovative MCU solutions to market.
Key ResponsibilitiesLeadership & Strategy- Define and execute the physical design strategy for low-power MCU product lines.
- Build, mentor, and lead a high-performing global physical design team.
- Establish best-in-class methodologies for low-power, high-reliability physical implementation.
- Drive continuous improvement in design flows, automation, and signoff quality.
Physical Implementation- Oversee full-chip and block-level physical design including:
- Floorplanning
- Power planning and low-power architecture implementation
- Clock tree synthesis (CTS)
- Place & route (P&R)
- Timing closure
- Physical verification (DRC/LVS)
- EM/IR and rel-ability signoff
- Ensure optimal PPA tradeoffs tailored for ultra-low-power MCU architectures.
Cross-Functional Collaboration- Partner with architecture and RTL teams to influence early design decisions.
- Work closely with analog/mixed-signal teams to integrate mixed-signal IP into SoCs.
- Collaborate with product engineering and operations to ensure manufacturability and yield.
- Interface with foundries to align on technology capabilities, PDK updates, and design rules.
Execution & Delivery- Own physical design schedules, resource planning, and risk management.
- Ensure first-silicon success through rigorous signoff and validation processes.
- Drive tape-out readiness and post-silicon debug support.
QualificationsRequired- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field.
- 15+ years of experience in physical design for complex SoCs, with at least 5 years in leadership roles.
- Proven track record of delivering multiple chips to production.
- Deep expertise in:
- Low-power design techniques (multi-Vt, power gating, DVFS, retention, etc.)
- Physical design tools (Synopsys, Cadence, Mentor)
- Advanced process nodes (40nm 22nm 12nm and below)
- Strong understanding of MCU architectures and embedded system constraints.
- Excellent communication, leadership, and cross-functional collaboration skills.
Preferred- Experience with mixed-signal SoCs and integration of analog IP.
- Background in high-volume consumer or industrial MCU products.
- Familiarity with security-focused or safety-certified MCU designs (e.g., ISO 26262).
- Experience building and scaling distributed engineering teams.
