Broadcom

Design Engineer - Chip Floorplanner

USA-Colorado-Fort Collins-4380 Ziegler Road Full time

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Job Description:

Be part of the Custom Silicon Design Team within Broadcom’s ASIC Products Division in beautiful Fort Collins, Colorado. Join a world-class engineering group developing custom CMOS ASICs for cutting-edge AI, Cellular, Networking, Computing, and Storage products. This position offers the opportunity to work on high-performance SoC designs operating at speeds exceeding 1 GHz, from concept through production.

Role Overview

This Floorplanning Engineer role focuses on chip-level physical architecture and integration for advanced ASICs in deep sub-micron technologies. The position provides hands-on experience with the latest 3 nm and smaller process nodes, defining and optimizing the overall die layout, including partitioning, hierarchy, and placement of major functional blocks, memories, and I/O structures for AI, computing, and networking SoCs.

Key Responsibilities

  • Define and optimize top-level floorplan architecture, including die size estimation, hierarchy definition, and partitioning.

  • Drive macro placement, power grid design, clock distribution planning, pin placement, and feedthrough optimization.

  • Collaborate closely with RTL, timing, and packaging teams to balance performance, power, and area (PPA) targets.

  • Lead top-level timing closure, congestion analysis, and ECO implementation to ensure clean tapeout readiness.

  • Coordinate with block owners and integration teams for smooth block-level to top-level convergence.

  • Support cross-functional design integration, providing guidance and technical support to internal and external partners.

  • Apply a deep understanding of block PnR, timing closure, physical verification, and IR/EM analysis to achieve signoff-quality results.

  • Contribute to design flow automation and methodology development for advanced process technologies.

Technical Skills / Background

  • Strong foundation in VLSI design principles and ASIC physical design fundamentals.

  • In-depth experience with floorplanning, die partitioning, and hierarchical design.

  • Working knowledge of PLLs, clock networks, power delivery, and timing-critical structures.

  • Familiarity with physical verification, DRC/LVS, and congestion/power analysis.

  • Proven ability to drive PPA optimization through innovative layout and planning strategies.

Coding & Tool Proficiency

  • Strong experience with TCL scripting and Linux environments is required.

  • Proficiency in Python, Perl, or Ruby is preferred.

  • Experience with Cadence or equivalent physical design tools is highly desirable.

Collaboration and Leadership

  • Excellent communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.

  • Ability to work effectively with customers and cross-functional teams across global sites and time zones.

  • Skilled at organizing and presenting large data sets, managing multiple priorities efficiently.

  • Exercises independent judgment and strong engineering insight in defining methods, techniques, and evaluation criteria.

  • Provides technical leadership, mentors others, and leads execution of new initiatives.

Education and Experience

  • BS in Electrical or Computer Engineering with 12+ years of relevant experience, or

  • MS in Electrical or Computer Engineering with 10+ years of relevant experience.

Additional Job Description:

Compensation and Benefits

The annual base salary range for this position is $127,100 - $203,400. 

 

This position is also eligible for a discretionary annual bonus in accordance with relevant plan documents, and equity in accordance with equity plan documents and equity award agreements.

Broadcom offers a competitive and comprehensive benefits package: Medical, dental and vision plans, 401(K) participation including company matching, Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP), Employee Assistance Program (EAP), company paid holidays, paid sick leave and vacation time. The company follows all applicable laws for Paid Family Leave and other leaves of absence.

Broadcom is proud to be an equal opportunity employer.  We will consider qualified applicants without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, citizenship, disability status, medical condition, pregnancy, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.  We will also consider qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records consistent with local law.

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