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Agent guide: [/agents.md](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/agents.md). --- # Applications Engineering, Sr Staff Engineer - **Company:** Synopsys - **Location:** Sunnyvale, CA, United States - **Experience:** Expert - **Salary:** $157,000.0 - $235,000.0 - **Contract:** Permanent contract - **Skills:** Artificial Intelligence, Software Debugging, Routing, Application Specific Integrated Circuits, Backend, Physical Design, Cts+ - **Published:** September 7, 2026 - **Apply:** https://www.indeed.com/viewjob?jk=00e51d9810270920 ## About the Role * Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent with 9+ years of hands-on ASIC physical design experience, or Master's degree with 7+ years * Deep expertise in RTL-to-GDSII flows using industry-standard tools, with direct experience in placement, optimization, clock tree synthesis, and routing * Hands-on proficiency with Synopsys backend tools including Fusion Compiler, ICC2, Design Compiler, and PrimeTime * Strong understanding of advanced node design challenges (7nm and below), including FinFET effects, multi-patterning constraints, and electromigration * Experience with timing closure techniques, multi-scenario optimization, and noise analysis in complex SoC designs * Knowledge of clock tree synthesis methodologies including H-Tree and multi-source CTS is a strong plus * Willingness to travel up to 30% to customer sites for technical engagements and on-site support, * You can walk into a room where a customer's design is failing timing by 500ps and within an hour identify whether it is a methodology problem, a constraint problem, or a fundamental architecture issue * You communicate complex technical tradeoffs clearly, whether you are presenting to a staff engineer debugging a routing issue or a director deciding between tool vendors * You stay calm under pressure, especially when a customer is three weeks from tape-out and needs answers today, not next week * You are curious about why things break, not just how to fix them, and that curiosity makes you better at preventing problems upstream * You balance customer advocacy with product reality, pushing back when a request does not make sense but fighting hard when it does * You enjoy teaching, whether it is walking a junior engineer through CTS fundamentals or showing a principal engineer a technique they have not tried before ## Description You have spent years in the trenches of physical design, not just running tools but understanding why a clock tree converges or falls apart, why congestion shows up in one corner and not another, and what it actually takes to close timing at 3nm when the margin for error is measured in picoseconds. You know the difference between a flow that works on paper and one that ships silicon, and you have debugged enough failed tape-outs to spot the warning signs three weeks before they become crises. Working directly with customers energizes you. You are the engineer who can sit across from a design team struggling with a routing hotspot, pull up Fusion Compiler, and show them three ways to fix it before the meeting ends. You do not just answer questions, you ask better ones. You dig into their constraints, their schedule pressure, their process node quirks, and you help them find a path forward that actually fits their reality. You have a point of view on methodologies. You know when to push multi-scenario optimization and when to fall back to simpler techniques. At Synopsys, you will work with customers building the chips that power everything, and what you help them solve will show up in products millions of people use., * Support pre-sales and post-sales engagements with semiconductor customers, demonstrating Synopsys physical design tools including Fusion Compiler and ICC2 in live technical sessions * Debug complex physical design issues across the RTL-to-GDSII flow, working directly with customer design teams to resolve placement, routing, timing closure, and congestion challenges at advanced nodes * Develop and deliver technical methodologies for clock tree synthesis, AI-driven optimization, macro placement, and timing closure that customers can adopt in production flows * Build proof-of-concept designs and benchmarks that show measurable PPA improvements using Synopsys tools compared to customer baseline flows * Collaborate with product engineering teams to translate customer pain points into feature requests, tool enhancements, and methodology improvements * Train customer engineers on advanced Synopsys tool capabilities, from multi-scenario optimization to noise-aware routing techniques * Travel to customer sites to provide hands-on technical support during critical project phases, including tape-out preparation and bring-up ## Related Videos - [Developing the Backend with Stefan Lingler, CTO at Shpock](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/100360-developing-the-backend-with-stefan-lingler-cto-at-shpock) - [Creating a routing app with Google Maps API from scratch](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/831-creating-a-routing-app-with-google-maps-api-from-scratch) - [Why Your Best Mediors Never Become Seniors (And How to Fix It)](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/2108-why-your-best-mediors-never-become-seniors-and-how-to-fix-it) - [Nest.js - TypeScript in the backend can also be clean](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/1033-nest-js-typescript-in-the-backend-can-also-be-clean) - [A Technical Introduction to Bitcoin's 2nd Layer- The Lightning Network](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/15-a-technical-introduction-to-bitcoin-s-2nd-layer-the-lightning-network) - [The Billion Dollar Machine: First Time Right.](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/videos/393-the-billion-dollar-machine-first-time-right) ## Related Articles - [Software Engineer Career: Things You Should Know](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/143-software-engineer-career-things-you-should-know) - [Top Characteristics of a Software Engineer](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/166-top-characteristics-of-a-software-engineer) - [Is Software Engineering Hard?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/448-is-software-engineering-hard) - [Is Software Engineering Over-Saturated?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/418-is-software-engineering-over-saturated) - [What is Software Engineering?](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/289-what-is-software-engineering) - [The Ultimate Software Engineer Career Path Guide for 2023](https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/146-the-ultimate-software-engineer-career-path-guide-for-2023)