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Physical Design CPU Methodology Engineer

TenstorrentSanta Clara🇺🇸United States

Why this role stands out

As a Physical Design CPU Methodology Engineer at Tenstorrent, you'll drive the implementation and automation strategy for cutting-edge AI technology, shaping the future of high-performance RISC-V CPUs from scratch. This remote role is perfect for experienced physical design engineers with a passion for AI and a desire to contribute to a collaborative team building the best AI platform possible. You'll thrive here if you possess deep expertise in RTL-to-GDS execution and enjoy solving complex challenges that advance the industry.

Quick overview

Salary$100k - $500k/yr
SeniorityMid Senior
Work modeHybrid
LocationSanta Clara, United States
CADRISC-V

Job description

Tenstorrent is leading the industry on cutting-edge AI technology, revolutionizing performance expectations, ease of use, and cost efficiency. With AI redefining the computing paradigm, solutions must evolve to unify innovations in software models, compilers, platforms, networking, and semiconductors. Our diverse team of technologists have developed a high performance RISC-V CPU from scratch, and share a passion for AI and a deep desire to build the best AI platform possible. We value collaboration, curiosity, and a commitment to solving hard problems. We are growing our team and looking for contributors of all seniorities.

Tenstorrent is looking for a Physical Design CPU Methodology Engineer who defines and drives the implementation methodology, automation strategy, and signoff infrastructure for high-performance CPU cores across advanced process nodes. This role combines deep physical design expertise with organization-level technical leadership, enabling predictable RTL-to-GDS execution, strong PPA outcomes, and scalable methodology adoption across multiple projects and teams.
This role is remote based out of the United States.
We welcome candidates at various experience levels for this role. During the interview process, candidates will be assessed for the appropriate level, and offers will align with that level, which may differ from the one in this posting.
Who you are
  • You are an experienced Physical Design Engineer with 10+ years of ASIC/SoC/CPU experience, ideally focused on high-performance CPUs or similarly complex digital designs.
  • You bring deep expertise across RTL-to-GDS implementation and signoff, including timing closure, power optimization, SI, EM/IR, extraction, and physical verification.
  • You have built or owned physical design methodology, automation, or CAD flows and are highly skilled in Tcl, Python, Perl, or similar scripting languages.
  • You are a technical leader who can influence across teams, mentor engineers, and drive standards across geographically distributed organizations.
What we need
  • Define and own scalable CPU physical design methodology spanning synthesis, floorplanning, power planning, place and route, CTS, extraction, STA, SI, EM/IR, and physical verification.
  • Explore AI/ML-enabled PD tooling, begin synthesis and PnR of CPU partitions, and start developing the new program RM flow.
  • Drive automation, constraints, quality metrics, signoff criteria, dashboards, checkers, and debug workflows that improve predictability, turnaround time, and PPA.
  • Partner with architecture, RTL, circuit, DFT, CAD, program, data, and EDA vendor teams to enable advanced nodes and productize AI/ML across physical design.
What you will learn
  • How to apply AI/ML to physical design for hotspot prediction, congestion forecasting, timing-risk classification, ECO prioritization, IR-drop screening, and flow tuning.
  • How to build reliable, explainable, production-ready data infrastructure, including feature collection, validation, and signoff integration.
  • How to evaluate AI-enabled EDA capabilities and determine where data-driven optimization delivers measurable value over conventional heuristics.
  • How to scale CPU methodology, automation, and AI/ML deployment across advanced-node programs, foundries, teams, and the broader organization.

Compensation for all engineers at Tenstorrent ranges from $100k - $500k including base and variable compensation targets. Experience, skills, education, background and location all impact the actual offer made.

Tenstorrent offers a highly competitive compensation package and benefits, and we are an equal opportunity employer.

This offer of employment is contingent upon the applicant being eligible to access U.S. export-controlled technology. Due to U.S. export laws, including those codified in the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (EAR), the Company is required to ensure compliance with these laws when transferring technology to nationals of certain countries (such as EAR Country Groups D:1, E1, and E2). These requirements apply to persons located in the U.S. and all countries outside the U.S. As the position offered will have direct and/or indirect access to information, systems, or technologies subject to these laws, the offer may be contingent upon your citizenship/permanent residency status or ability to obtain prior license approval from the U.S. Commerce Department or applicable federal agency. If employment is not possible due to U.S. export laws, any offer of employment will be rescinded.

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