New 
Principal Applications Engineer - Physical Verification
 Synopsys | |
$184000-$276000
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 United States, California, Sunnyvale | |
 Oct 07, 2026 | |
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We AreSynopsys is the leader in engineering solutions from silicon to systems, enabling customers to rapidly innovate AI-powered products. We deliver industry-leading silicon design, IP, simulation and analysis solutions, and design services. We partner closely with our customers across a wide range of industries to maximize their R&D capability and productivity, powering innovation today that ignites the ingenuity of tomorrow.You AreYou have spent a decade or more in the trenches of Physical Verification, where a single misaligned rule deck can blow up a tapeout and where debugging a million DRC violations at 3nm means understanding both the tool and the physics underneath it. You know IC Validator, Calibre, or similar tools well enough to write runsets from scratch, debug them when they fail in ways the documentation never predicted, and explain to a frustrated design team why their custom cell is flagging errors that are actually correct.You are comfortable walking into a customer site where they are skeptical about switching tools, running a benchmark that proves the case, and then staying through deployment until their signoff flow is rock solid. You do not just answer questions, you ask better ones. When a customer says their LVS is failing, you dig into whether it is a netlist issue, a rule deck bug, or a layout assumption that broke three nodes ago.You are curious about what comes next. AI and agentic workflows are not buzzwords to you, they are tools you want to learn, apply, and help shape for an industry that desperately needs better automation. At Synopsys, you will work with customers who are building the most advanced chips in the world, and what you help them deploy will determine whether their tapeouts succeed or slip.What You'll Be DoingDrive IC Validator evaluations and competitive benchmarks at leading semiconductor customers, from initial setup through production signoff adoptionDevelop, customize, and debug Physical Verification rule decks and runsets for DRC, LVS, FILL, and PERC across advanced process nodesSolve complex customer issues that span tool behavior, runset logic, design methodology, and foundry rule interpretationLead technical demonstrations, training sessions, and hands-on customer engagements that move evaluations to deploymentBuild and support AI/ML and agentic applications for Physical Verification, including intelligent debug, violation classification, and workflow automationCollaborate with R&D, Product Engineering, and Sales to translate customer feedback into product requirements and enhancementsScript and automate Physical Verification flows using Python, TCL, Perl, and shell scripting to improve customer productivity and adoptionThe Impact You Will HaveEnable customers to tape out advanced-node designs on time by ensuring their Physical Verification flows are correct, efficient, and production-readyAccelerate IC Validator adoption at strategic accounts, directly contributing to Synopsys revenue and market position in Physical VerificationReduce customer debug time and engineering effort by deploying AI-assisted workflows that catch issues earlier and classify violations intelligentlyInfluence the future of Synopsys Physical Verification tools by providing real-world customer feedback that shapes R&D prioritiesBuild long-term technical relationships with customers that make Synopsys their trusted partner for signoff verificationHelp define how AI and agentic technologies will transform Physical Verification workflows across the semiconductor industryImprove foundry rule deck quality and deployment speed by identifying gaps, debugging issues, and working with ecosystem partnersWhat You'll NeedBachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, VLSI, or a related technical field10+ years of hands-on industry experience in Physical Verification, including DRC, LVS, FILL, and PERC methodologiesDeep experience with Physical Verification tools such as IC Validator, Calibre, Assura, or equivalent EDA solutionsStrong scripting and automation skills in Python, TCL, Perl, or shell scripting for runset development and workflow automationProven ability to develop, qualify, and debug Physical Verification rule decks and runsets for complex designsFamiliarity with Physical Design flows using Fusion Compiler or Innovus, and custom layout environments like Custom Compiler or VirtuosoExperience driving customer evaluations, competitive benchmarks, and production deployment at semiconductor companies is a strong plusWho You AreYou can walk into a customer meeting where the design team is stuck on a failing LVS run, diagnose the issue in real time, and leave with a fix and a planYou are comfortable managing multiple customer engagements at once, prioritizing based on urgency and business impact without losing track of technical detailsYou push back when a customer request does not make technical sense, and you do it in a way that builds trust rather than frictionYou are genuinely curious about AI and machine learning applications in EDA, even if you are still learning, and you want to be part of building that futureYou can explain a complex Physical Verification tradeoff to a customer VP in two sentences without losing the technical nuance that mattersYou do not wait for perfect information or complete documentation, you figure out what is missing, ask the right people, and move forwardThe Team You'll Be Part OfYour recruiter will share more about the team structure and mission during the interview process.#LI-CM1
At Synopsys, we want talented people of every background to feel valued and supported to do their best work. Synopsys considers all applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, military veteran status, or disability. In addition to the base salary, this role may be eligible for an annual bonus, equity, and other discretionary bonuses. Synopsys offers comprehensive health, wellness, and financial benefits as part of a competitive total rewards package. The actual compensation offered will be based on a number of job-related factors, including location, skills, experience, and education. Your recruiter can share more specific details on the total rewards package upon request. The base salary range for this role is across the U.S. Apply Now | |