NXP Semiconductors

Director of SoC Implementation / Physical Design

NXP Semiconductors • $175K — $210K *
Consumer Technology
15+ years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's or Master's in Electrical/Electronics Engineering or related field
  • 17+ years of experience in ASIC/SoC physical design
  • Experience leading large-scale SoC programs
  • Strong knowledge of industry EDA tools (e.g., Synopsys, Cadence)
  • Proven success with advanced node implementations
  • Excellent leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills

Responsibilities

  • Lead end-to-end physical design execution including all technical phases
  • Drive closure on timing, power, and physical verification for tapeout
  • Ensure delivery of optimized Power, Performance, Area (PPA) specifications
  • Own planning and execution of physical design programs
  • Manage risks and schedules across global teams
  • Build and lead high-performing physical design teams
  • Define next-generation physical design methodologies and innovations

Benefits

  • Opportunities for career development and mentorship
  • Work with cutting-edge technology and innovation
  • Collaborative environment with cross-functional teams
  • Engagement with leading EDA vendors and IP providers
  • Exposure to advanced node technologies (5nm and beyond)
Full Job Description
We are seeking a highly experienced leader to head SoC Implementation / Physical Design for advanced semiconductor products. This role will own end-to-end physical design execution across complex SoCs, driving delivery from RTL to silicon for cutting-edge technology nodes.

The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise with strong organizational leadership, capable of managing large global teams and delivering high-quality silicon on aggressive schedules.

Key Responsibilities
1. End-to-End Physical Design Ownership
  • Lead complete SoC physical design execution including floorplanning, synthesis, place & route, CTS, routing, STA, PDN, PDV and signoff.
  • Drive timing, power, IR/EM, and physical verification closure to achieve tapeout readiness.
  • Deliver optimized PPA (Power, Performance, Area) across complex designs.
  • Aligns with internal expectations of implementing designs on silicon with optimal quality, PPA, and cost efficiency


2. Program & Execution Leadership
  • Own planning, tracking, and execution of physical design programs from specification through tapeout.
  • Manage risks, dependencies, and schedules across multi-site global teams.
  • Drive cross-functional alignment across RTL, DFT, STA, verification, and packaging teams.
  • Ensure delivery to aggressive project timelines and quality metrics.


3. Team Leadership & Organization Development
  • Build and lead high-performing global physical design teams.
  • Drive hiring, mentoring, and career development across technical leads and engineers.
  • Establish execution discipline, review mechanisms, and performance tracking.
  • Interface with senior leadership for status reporting, escalation, and decision-making.


4. Technical Strategy & Innovation
  • Define and deploy next-generation physical design methodologies.
  • Drive automation, flow optimization, and tool innovation.
  • Lead adoption of advanced node technologies (5nm and beyond).
  • Improve scalability, productivity, and design quality through methodology enhancements.


5. Cross-Functional & Ecosystem Engagement
  • Collaborate with architecture, RTL, verification, and product teams to ensure design convergence.
  • Interface with EDA vendors and IP providers for tool and flow optimization.
  • Support post-silicon bring-up, yield improvement, and production ramp activities.


Core Technical Expertise
  • Full RTL-to-GDSII implementation flow
  • Floorplanning, synthesis, PNR, CTS, routing
  • STA and signoff methodologies
  • EM/IR, PDN design, signal integrity
  • Physical verification (DRC/LVS/ERC)
  • Advanced node implementation (≤ 16nm / 5nm)
  • Low power design (UPF/CPF)
  • System-level integration (package, IO, board)

These responsibilities reflect core physical design tasks such as floorplanning, PNR, STA, verification, and optimization defined in internal role descriptions

Required Qualifications
  • Bachelor's or Master's in Electrical / Electronics Engineering or related field
  • 17+ years of experience in ASIC / SoC physical design
  • Proven experience leading large-scale SoC programs
  • Strong knowledge of industry EDA tools (Synopsys, Cadence flows)
  • Demonstrated success in advanced node implementations
  • Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills


Preferred Qualifications
  • Experience in automotive or high-reliability SoCs
  • Expertise in PDN / EMIR / SI closure at chip-level
  • Experience with global team leadership across geographies
  • Exposure to AI-driven design methodologies and automation


More information about NXP in the United States...

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About NXP Semiconductors

NXP Semiconductors N.V. is a Dutch semiconductor manufacturer with headquarters in Eindhoven, Netherlands. The company employs approximately 31,000 people in more than 35 countries, including 11,200 engineers in 33 countries. NXP reported revenue of $8.88 billion in 2020. The company's products are used in a wide range of automotive, identification, wireless infrastructure, lighting, industrial, mobile, consumer and computing applications. NXP is the co-inventor of near field communication (NFC) technology along with Sony and supplies NFC chip sets that enable mobile payments, as well as secure access to cars and buildings.
Learn more about NXP Semiconductors
Size
31,000 employees
Market Cap
$39.8 billion
Industry
Net Income
$52 million
Founded
1953
5 Year Trend
+3.1%
Revenue
$8.6 billion
NASDAQ

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