Job Description

At Cadence, we hire and develop leaders and innovators who want to make an impact on the world of technology.

Cadence is a pivotal leader in electronic design, building upon more than 30 years of computational software expertise. The company applies its underlying Intelligent System Design strategy to deliver software, hardware and IP that turn design concepts into reality.

Cadence customers are the world’s most innovative companies, delivering extraordinary electronic products from chips to boards to systems for the most dynamic market applications including consumer, hyperscale computing, 5G communications, automotive, aerospace industrial and health.

At Cadence, we hire and develop leaders and innovators who want to make an impact on the world of technology.

Job Title: Layout Design Engineer (SerDes)

Location: Cork , Ireland

Reports to: Sr Principal Design Engineer

The Layout Design Engineer will be responsible for transistor-level physical layout implementation of advanced analog and mixed-signal circuits for next-generation high-speed interface IP. This role sits within the SerDes Product Team based in Cork, Ireland, and works closely with cross-functional engineering partners to deliver high-quality, manufacturable designs.

Job Responsibilities:

• Perform custom transistor-level layout for high-speed SerDes blocks, including PLLs, Clock and Data Recovery (CDR), TX/RX analog front-ends, equalisers (CTLE/DFE), bandgap and bias circuits, and high-speed clock distribution networks.
• Partner closely with analog and mixed-signal circuit designers to understand performance requirements and optimise floorplanning, parasitic-sensitive routing, signal integrity, and matching.
• Support physical design implementation activities such as floorplanning, device placement, routing, shielding and isolation, power planning, and EM/IR-aware layout practices.
• Run and debug physical verification flows, including DRC, LVS, ERC, parasitic extraction, and post-layout verification support.
• Apply advanced layout techniques such as common-centroid structures, interdigitation, symmetry constraints, guard rings, dummy fill, and matching-aware routing.
• Optimise layouts for area, yield, performance, reliability, and manufacturability.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including Analog Design, Digital Implementation, Packaging, Signal Integrity, and Physical Verification.

Job Qualifications:

Essential (Must-have)

• Degree in Electronic Engineering, Microelectronics, Computer Engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent industry experience.
• Hands-on experience with CMOS SERDES or high-speed I/O IC layout at the transistor level.
• Practical knowledge of custom layout methodologies and parasitic-aware design techniques.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with designers and project stakeholders across global teams.
• Strong problem-solving skills, clear communication, and a collaborative working style.

Desirable (Nice-to-have)

• Experience with PHY GDS implementation, including PMA/PCS integration and clock/power distribution.
• Familiarity with ASIC design flows, hierarchical physical design strategies, and deep sub-micron technology challenges.
• Exposure to EM/IR, low-power design considerations, crosstalk analysis, physical verification, and DFM.
• Experience contributing to tape-outs on advanced technology nodes (e.g. 16nm, 10nm, 7nm, 5nm, or 3nm).
• Scripting or automation experience using Tcl, Perl, or Python.
• Prior use of Cadence tools or collaboration with EDA R&D teams (e.g. Virtuoso, PVS).

Additional Information:

Cadence is committed to equal employment opportunity and employment equity throughout all levels of the organization. We strive to attract a qualified and diverse candidate pool and encourage diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

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