Senior Physical Design Engineer

Job Description

The Tesla AI Hardware team is at the forefront of revolutionizing artificial intelligence through cutting-edge hardware innovation. Comprising brilliant engineers and visionaries, the team designs and develops advanced AI inference chips tailored to accelerate Tesla’s machine learning capabilities. A key part of this effort is Dojo, Tesla's custom supercomputer system built to efficiently train massive neural networks on vast video data from the fleet. The work of Tesla's AI Hardware team powers the neural networks behind Full Self-Driving (FSD), and Tesla humanoid robot, Optimus, pushing the boundaries of computational efficiency and performance. By creating custom silicon and optimized architectures, the team ensures Tesla remains a leader in AI-driven automotive and energy solutions, shaping a future where intelligent machines enhance human life.

Tesla's AI Hardware Team is looking for experienced, highly skilled VLSI engineers who enjoy working across the logic, circuit, methodology, and physical design levels. Our physical design team is growing to tackle a wider range of projects, building on our in-house SOC design expertise. This position entails the design, construction and integration of SOCs, IP, circuits, tool flows, and methodologies into systems using advanced technologies - from definition through characterization

Job Responsibilities

• Work on complex design blocks and SOCs from early design stage to tape out
• Floorplan and partition designs to meet area, timing, and power requirements
• Construct high-speed blocks, from synthesis, place, and route, out through timing, physical, and electrical closure to meet performance, robustness, reliability, and power targets
• Read RTL, understand block micro-architecture, perform RTL modifications and prove logical equivalence as needed

Job Requirements

• Engineering degree in a relevant field, or equivalent work experience 
• 6+ years of industry work experience in VLSI/IC design 
• Knowledge and experience with logic design and synthesis tools and techniques
• Proficient in place and route tools and approaches 
• Proficient in timing and electrical analysis in advanced nodes, including high-frequency design closure, IR drop, power, and reliability 
• Skilled with CAD tools and scripting languages (Perl or Python) 
• Understand cell and transistor level digital circuit design, memory and clock structures, and design methodologies 
• Good understanding of RTL, DFT, and microarchitecture 
• Good communication skills and a demonstrated team player and flexible and able to work independently in a fast-paced environment
• Experience in any of these areas is a plus: SOC level physical integration and validation, post-silicon characterization