Senior R&D Engineer-17637

Sunnyvale, California, United States

Engineering

Employee

$116000-$174000

Overview

Synopsys software engineers are key enablers in the world of Electronic Design Automation (EDA), developing and maintaining software used in chip design, verification and manufacturing. They work on assignments like designing, developing, and troubleshooting software, leveraging the state-of-the-art technologies like AI/ML, GenAI and Cloud. Their critical contributions enable world-wide EDA designers to extend the frontiers of semiconductors and chip development.

Job Description

Date posted 06. 01. 2026

Category Engineering Hire Type Employee Job ID 17637 Base Salary Range $116000-$174000 Remote Eligible No Date Posted 06. 01. 2026

We Are

Synopsys 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 Are

You are a passionate software engineer with electrical engineering background. You have learned electrical circuits, VLSI design, semiconductor physics or related areas, and proficient with C++ programming and designing efficient algorithms.
You are comfortable moving between electromagnetic theory and production C++ code. You can work on a quasi-static model in one day and spend another day optimizing a data structure that must handle billions of elements without falling over. When a foundry sends you a challenging new process modeling spec or a customer describes an accuracy problem, you do not panic, you dig in, reproduce it, and figure out where the model is missing.
Building things that must be right matters to you. Not approximately right for a demo, correct when someone tapes out a chip worth millions of dollars. You ask hard questions about accuracy versus runtime tradeoffs, and you care about both. You know that an extraction model that adds 10% runtime but catches a critical coupling issue is worth it.
At Synopsys, you will work on StarRC, the tool that sets the standard for parasitic extraction across the industry, and what you build will directly affect whether advanced designs close on schedule.

What You'll Be Doing

Research, design, and implement new transistor level extraction capabilities for StarRC, focusing on modeling accuracy for FinFET and gate-all-around devices at 3nm, 2nm, and beyond
Develop parasitic models for interconnect capacitance, inductance, and resistance using pattern-matching techniques and field solver methods
Design efficient algorithms and data structures in C++ that handle massive layout datasets while maintaining extraction accuracy and runtime performance
Apply computational electromagnetics principles to solve complex extraction problems for advanced process nodes
Collaborate with engineers across layout, simulation, timing, and physical verification teams to ensure StarRC integrates seamlessly into customer signoff flows
Work directly with foundries and customers to resolve extraction challenges in CPU designs, 3D IC systems, and advanced packaging structures

The Impact You Will Have

Enable accurate signoff for chips at the most advanced process nodes, directly affecting whether billion-dollar designs can tape out on schedule
Improve extraction runtime and capacity so customers can close timing on larger, more complex SoCs without sacrificing accuracy
Delivering capabilities that help foundries and design teams understand parasitic effects in new process technologies before they become yield problems
Strengthening StarRC's position as the gold standard extraction tool by solving problems competitors cannot
Help customers across CPU, AI accelerator, and memory design teams achieve first-pass silicon success by catching parasitic issues early
Shape the technical direction of extraction technology through direct collaboration with leading foundries and design houses

What You'll Need

MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or Computer Engineering with 1+ years of relevant EDA software development experience
Proficiency in C++ programming, algorithm design, and data structures for large scale software systems
Strong background in computational electromagnetics, including experience with full-wave or quasi-static EM modeling, Maxwell's equations, and numerical methods such as FEM, BEM, or MoM
Understanding how parasitic effects impact circuit performance and signoff, experience with LVS, extraction, or circuit simulation flows is a plus
Familiarity with field solver technology or transmission line analysis is a plus

Who You Are

You are a passionate software engineer with electrical engineering background. Graduate level research in electromagnetics a strong plus.
You are self-motivated, innovative and enjoy collaboration with similar technical minds to solve tough technical problems
You care about correctness at scale, an algorithm that works on a test case but crashes on a real customer design is not a solution
You are comfortable being wrong in a design review if it means the team catches a problem before it ships
You do not wait for perfect specs, when a foundry provides a spec, you identify the corner case scenarios, ask the right questions

The Team You'll Be Part Of

You will be a member of a high performing R&D team contributing to the development of StarRC, the EDA industry's gold standard for parasitic extraction. The team works on modeling physical effects for advanced process technologies, including FinFET at 7nm, 5nm, 3nm, 2nm, and beyond. You will collaborate closely with other product developers across layout design, simulations, timing, reliability verification, and physical verification.

Rewards and Benefits

We offer a comprehensive range of health, wellness, and financial benefits to cater to your needs. Our total rewards include both monetary and non-monetary offerings. Your recruiter will provide more details about the salary range and benefits during the hiring process.

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#TPG

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.

Benefits

At Synopsys, innovation is driven by our incredible team around the world. We feel honored to work alongside such talented and passionate individuals who choose to make a difference here every day. We're proud to provide the comprehensive benefits and rewards that our team truly deserves.

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Health & Wellness

Comprehensive medical and healthcare plans that work for you and your family.

Time Away

In addition to company holidays, we have ETO and FTO Programs.

Family Support

Maternity and paternity leave, parenting resources, adoption and surrogacy assistance, and more.

ESPP

Purchase Synopsys common stock at a 15% discount, with a 24 month look-back.

Retirement Plans

Save for your future with our retirement plans that vary by region and country.

Compensation

Competitive salaries.

** Benefits vary by country and region - check with your recruiter to confirm

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Hiring Journey at Synopsys

Apply

As an applicant your resume, skills, and experience are being reviewed for consideration.

Phone Screen

Once your resume has been selected a recruiter and/or hiring manager will reach out to learn more about you and share more about the role.

Interview

You will be invited to meet with the hiring team to measure your qualifications for the role. Our interviews are held either in person or via Zoom.

Offer

Congratulations! When you have been selected for the role, your recruiter will reach out to make you a verbal offer (a written offer will follow your conversation), and we hope you accept!

Onboarding

There will be some steps you need to take before you start to ensure a smooth first day, including new hire documentation.

Welcome!

Once you’ve joined, your manager, team, and a peer buddy will help you get acclimated. Over the next few weeks, you’ll be invited to join activities and training to help you ramp up for a successful future at Synopsys!

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