New 
Applications Engineering, Sr. Staff Engineer
 Synopsys | |
$157000-$235000
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 United States, California, Sunnyvale | |
 Sep 17, 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 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.What You'll Be DoingSupport pre-sales and post-sales engagements with semiconductor customers, demonstrating Synopsys physical design tools including Fusion Compiler and ICC2 in live technical sessionsDebug 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 nodesDevelop and deliver technical methodologies for clock tree synthesis, AI-driven optimization, macro placement, and timing closure that customers can adopt in production flowsBuild proof-of-concept designs and benchmarks that show measurable PPA improvements using Synopsys tools compared to customer baseline flowsCollaborate with product engineering teams to translate customer pain points into feature requests, tool enhancements, and methodology improvementsTrain customer engineers on advanced Synopsys tool capabilities, from multi-scenario optimization to noise-aware routing techniquesTravel to customer sites to provide hands-on technical support during critical project phases, including tape-out preparation and bring-upThe Impact You Will HaveAccelerate customer adoption of Synopsys tools, directly contributing to revenue growth and competitive wins in key accountsHelp customers achieve measurable improvements in PPA (power, performance, area) and reduce their time to tape-out by weeks or months through better methodologiesInfluence the product roadmap by surfacing real-world customer challenges that shape the next generation of Fusion Compiler and ICC2 capabilitiesBuild long-term technical relationships with leading semiconductor companies, becoming the trusted expert they call when a design is stuckEnable customers to successfully adopt advanced node technologies (5nm, 3nm, and beyond) where traditional methodologies break downExpand Synopsys footprint within accounts by demonstrating value across multiple design teams and product linesContribute to the technical reputation of Synopsys in the industry through customer success stories, white papers, and conference presentationsWhat You'll NeedBachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or equivalent with 9+ years of hands-on ASIC physical design experience, or Master's degree with 7+ yearsDeep expertise in RTL-to-GDSII flows using industry-standard tools, with direct experience in placement, optimization, clock tree synthesis, and routingHands-on proficiency with Synopsys backend tools including Fusion Compiler, ICC2, Design Compiler, and PrimeTimeStrong understanding of advanced node design challenges (7nm and below), including FinFET effects, multi-patterning constraints, and electromigrationExperience with timing closure techniques, multi-scenario optimization, and noise analysis in complex SoC designsKnowledge of clock tree synthesis methodologies including H-Tree and multi-source CTS is a strong plusWillingness to travel up to 30% to customer sites for technical engagements and on-site supportWho You AreYou 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 issueYou communicate complex technical tradeoffs clearly, whether you are presenting to a staff engineer debugging a routing issue or a director deciding between tool vendorsYou stay calm under pressure, especially when a customer is three weeks from tape-out and needs answers today, not next weekYou are curious about why things break, not just how to fix them, and that curiosity makes you better at preventing problems upstreamYou balance customer advocacy with product reality, pushing back when a request does not make sense but fighting hard when it doesYou enjoy teaching, whether it is walking a junior engineer through CTS fundamentals or showing a principal engineer a technique they have not tried beforeThe Team You'll Be Part OfYou will join the Customer Success Group, the team responsible for helping the world's leading semiconductor companies design and verify advanced silicon chips. This is a technical sales enablement role, which means you will work closely with account teams, product engineers, and directly with customer design teams. The role is based in Sunnyvale, CA, with occasional travel.
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 | |