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July 24, 2025
Senior R&D Software Engineer, VLSI Floorplanning and Optimization
Senior • On-site
$196,000 - $368,000/yr
Santa Clara, CA , +1
NVIDIA's success builds on a foundation of industry leading hardware. A key strategy in achieving this is our combining of the best of external EDA with highly optimized, internal EDA tools. Our team develops these tools by fusing advances in parallel computing, machine learning, and novel algorithms in C++. We are seeking an innovative R&D Software Engineer with particular interest in EDA strategies and algorithms for floorplanning, design estimation, and optimization. Such optimization usually includes a mix of graph-based algorithms, AI, and feedback from designers, so having experience relevant to each of those areas would be ideal.
Developing software within a leading hardware company means getting to almost exclusively focus on the latest processes and most advanced designs. Our developers enjoy unusually high intellectual freedom, innovation and the ability to explore broad roles. If you like to work across many technical areas, find the solution for real life VLSI problems, and see your successes directly realized in the world's best AI hardware, this is it!
What you’ll be doing:
Invent and optimize new methods for floorplanning and chip-level optimization tools.
Develop machine learning strategies to improve efficiency of design space exploration.
Explore high performance algorithms for block placement, datapath estimation and other details of early design estimation, especially that efficiently incorporate human insight.
Explore use of LLMs (Large Language Models), GNNs (Graph Neural Networks), GANs (Generative Adversarial Networks), and Reinforcement Learning for efficient EDA solution.
As with any software engineering team, we do write a lot of code, but this is broader than a typical CAD or EDA role. Instead, we as a team own the whole process from discovery and invention of new optimization opportunities to the final deployment of solution. Team members enjoy considerable flexibility in defining new projects and exploring new technical domains. That translates to a bigger picture view of your work, going beyond simply responding to user requests to instead actively driving the roadmap of growing hardware design productivity.
What we need to see:
MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science or equivalent experience
10+ years of EDA software and VLSI hardware design
Proven track record in software development with C++, particularly in algorithm development related to graph, placement, optimization, analysis and visualization.
Familiarity with related EDA techniques, including floorplanning, placement, routability, partitioning, static timing analysis, and SAT solvers
Ways to stand out from the crowd:
C++17/C++14 experience, such as lambdas and concurrency
Deep understanding of algorithm design principles such as complexity analysis, multithreading, distributed computing, efficient memory and I/O use, etc.
Experience in chip level floorplanning, timing estimation and design optimization etc.
Familiarity with various machine learning techniques for analysis, optimization, and use of AI code generation tools
Good communication and interpersonal skills
NVIDIA is widely considered to be the leader of AI computing, and one of the technology world’s most desirable employers. We have some of the most forward-thinking and hardworking people in team. If you're creative and autonomous, we want to hear from you.
The base salary range is 196,000 USD - 368,000 USD. Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions.You will also be eligible for equity and benefits. NVIDIA accepts applications on an ongoing basis.
