Head of Physical Design

Company: Etched
Location: San Jose
Posted on: February 17, 2026

Job Description:

Job Description Job Description About Etched Etched is building the world’s first AI inference system purpose-built for transformers - delivering over 10x higher performance and dramatically lower cost and latency than a B200. With Etched ASICs, you can build products that would be impossible with GPUs, like real-time video generation models and extremely deep & parallel chain-of-thought reasoning agents. Backed by hundreds of millions from top-tier investors and staffed by leading engineers, Etched is redefining the infrastructure layer for the fastest growing industry in history. Job Summary We’re looking for a Head of Physical Design to lead the end-to-end RTL-to-GDSII path for our next-generation transformer inference ASICs. You’ll own all aspects of physical implementation — from floorplanning and synthesis through P&R and signoff — and lead a world-class team of PD engineers to deliver first-pass silicon that’s fast, reliable, and production-ready. This is a rare opportunity to shape the physical design strategy at a company where timing to market and uncompromising performance are critical to success. Key Responsibilities Own and optimize all facets of physical design, including floorplanning, placement, CTS, routing, and timing closure for complex AI accelerators Build and lead a high-performing PD team, including engineers focused on implementation, flows, and signoff Define and drive physical signoff strategy, ensuring DRC, LVS, ERC, and CDC are achieved with margin Partner closely with RTL, DV, backend, and methodologies teams to ensure seamless integration and handoff across the stack Guide block-level and chip-level floorplanning with input on timing budgets, power domains, and interconnect strategy Drive early architecture and microarchitecture input to reduce rework and enable schedule predictability Interface with EDA vendors and the foundry to integrate cutting-edge tools, flows, and node-specific optimizations Lead the development of automation scripts (e.g., Python, Tcl) to accelerate design cycles and increase flow robustness Create telemetry and dashboards to track design health and ensure accurate KPIs across closure milestones Deliver fast, production-grade silicon through aggressive, high-confidence planning and execution You may be a good fit if you have 10 years of experience in physical design for advanced-node ASICs, including multiple successful tapeouts Demonstrated ownership of complex block- and full-chip physical implementation projects, from RTL handoff to signoff Deep expertise in timing closure, including STA, path analysis, constraint management, and ECO optimization Experience managing and mentoring physical design teams, ideally in fast-paced or startup environments Strong scripting and automation skills (Python, Tcl) to optimize workflows and improve engineering velocity Familiarity with leading EDA tools like Cadence Innovus, Synopsys ICC2, and Mentor Calibre Comfort working in a high-performance, in-person engineering culture that values ambition and execution Benefits Medical, dental, and vision packages with generous premium coverage $500 per month credit for waiving medical benefits Housing subsidy of $2k per month for those living within walking distance of the office Relocation support for those moving to San Jose (Santana Row) Various wellness benefits covering fitness, mental health, and more Daily lunch dinner in our office How we’re different Etched believes in the Bitter Lesson. We think most of the progress in the AI field has come from using more FLOPs to train and run models, and the best way to get more FLOPs is to build model-specific hardware. Larger and larger training runs encourage companies to consolidate around fewer model architectures, which creates a market for single-model ASICs. We are a fully in-person team in San Jose (Santana Row), and greatly value engineering skills. We do not have boundaries between engineering and research, and we expect all of our technical staff to contribute to both as needed. Compensation Range: $200K - $300K

Keywords: Etched, Fremont , Head of Physical Design, Engineering , San Jose, California