Senior Software R&D Engineer, VLSI Physical Design

About the role

NVIDIA is seeking a Senior R&D Software Engineer with expertise in VLSI Physical Design Algorithms. The ideal candidate should have a strong background in C++ and experience with design implementation tools.

Responsibilities

• Invent new optimization engines that fuse traditionally independent engines to improve chip frequency and reduce power consumption.
• Develop and improve algorithms for gate-level sizing, buffering, useful clock skew, cell legalization, power minimization, ECO routing, and incremental parasitic extraction.
• Collaborate with design teams to integrate and deploy optimization solutions.

Requirements

• Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science with 6+ years of experience in VLSI algorithms development.
• Strong understanding of VLSI timing optimization, cell libraries, interconnect models, crosstalk, glitches, IR drop, timing constraints, corners, congestion, etc.
• Familiarity with design implementation tools such as ICC2, Innovus, PrimeTime, Tempus, and StarRC.
• Experience with Perl, Tcl, and Python.

Qualifications

• BS, MS, PhD or equivalent experience in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science.
• Proven experience in multiple areas of VLSI Physical Design Algorithms.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

Skills

• C++14 or newer experience, including lambdas and concurrency.
• Experience in high performance software design, including multithreading, distributed computing, efficient memory and I/O use.
• Experience with reinforcement learning, GNNs (Graph Neural Networks), and other relevant machine learning frameworks, especially as applied to physical design.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary ranging from $168,000 to $264,500 for Level 4, and $196,000 to $310,500 for Level 5.
• Equity and benefits package.

Pay

Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions.

Schedule

This posting is for an existing vacancy. Applications will be accepted until July 26, 2026.