Astera Labs

Senior/ Staff Physical Design Engineer

Haifa District, Israel · Work style not stated

Posted over 6 months ago: check it’s still open

Apply on the employer’s site ↗See how well you match this job

You apply directly with the employer. ROLIVA does not submit applications from this page and is not the employer.

About the role

Description from the employer’s posting. Check the employer’s page for the current version.

  • EmployerAstera Labs
  • LocationHaifa District, Israel
  • Work styleWork style not stated
  • Employer posted

Astera Labs (NASDAQ: ALAB) provides rack-scale AI infrastructure through purpose-built connectivity solutions. By collaborating with hyperscalers and ecosystem partners, Astera Labs enables organizations to unlock the full potential of modern AI. Astera Labs’ Intelligent Connectivity Platform integrates CXL®, Ethernet, NVLink, PCIe®, and UALink™ semiconductor-based technologies with the company’s COSMOS software suite to unify diverse components into cohesive, flexible systems that deliver end-to-end scale-up, and scale-out connectivity. The company’s custom connectivity solutions business complements its standards-based portfolio, enabling customers to deploy tailored architectures to meet their unique infrastructure requirements. Discover more at www.asteralabs.com.

Role Overview

Astera Labs is establishing a strategic R&D center in Israel to drive the development of complex semiconductor chips that solve the critical 'data bottlenecks' enabling the future of AI at scale. As we expand our presence in Israel, we're seeking a visionary Physical Design Engineer to help build our local engineering powerhouse from the ground up. This is a unique opportunity to take on meaningful product ownership in a new site, defining the backend execution and methodologies for chips that power the world's largest AI clusters.

Show full description

As a Physical Design Engineer, you will be a key architect of our silicon's physical reality. You won't just execute a flow—you will help establish our local execution culture and technical standards, owning the transformation of complex logic into high-performance silicon. You will drive the physical implementation journey from synthesis through signoff, ensuring our connectivity solutions meet the extreme performance, power, and area targets required for next-generation AI infrastructure. If you thrive on solving complex challenges in deep-submicron processes and want to shape the backend methodology for AI infrastructure connectivity, this is your opportunity.

Key Responsibilities

Physical Implementation & Execution

  • Be part of the founding Backend team in Israel, playing a critical role in establishing local execution culture and technical standards
  • Take full responsibility for physical implementation journey including Synthesis, Floorplanning, Place & Route, and Clock-Tree Synthesis (CTS)
  • Own macro-level implementation with deep hands-on experience in floorplanning and complex routing

Signoff & Design Integrity

  • Drive final stages of design integrity, owning Timing signoff (STA), Physical Verification (DRC/LVS), and Reliability analysis (EMIR)
  • Ensure first-pass silicon success through rigorous signoff flows and analysis
  • Apply Logic Equivalence Checking (LEC) and other verification techniques to guarantee design correctness

Methodology Development & Cross-Functional Collaboration

  • Participate in defining and refining Backend methodologies with autonomy to improve workflows and tool automation
  • Work closely with Architecture, Design, and DFT teams to navigate challenges of advanced process nodes and high-speed connectivity
  • Leverage scripting and automation to make engineering environment faster and more robust

Basic Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related technical field
  • 3+ years of hands-on experience in Physical Design at semiconductor companies
  • Proven expertise in the full RTL2GDS flow with deep hands-on experience in macro-level implementation, floorplanning, and complex routing
  • Experience working with advanced process technologies (7nm and below)
  • Solid experience with signoff tools and flows including STA, Logic Equivalence Checking (LEC), DRC, and EMIR analysis
  • Proficiency in TCL or Python scripting to drive EDA tool flows and automate repetitive tasks

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience with full-chip level implementation and integration
  • Knowledge of Power and Noise analysis (SI/PI) to optimize high-performance silicon
  • Familiarity with Design-for-Test (DFT) requirements and their impact on physical layout
  • Experience with industry-standard EDA tools (Synopsys Fusion Compiler/ICC2, Cadence Innovus)
  • Background in high-speed interface designs or connectivity protocols

We know that creativity and innovation happen more often when teams include diverse ideas, backgrounds, and experiences, and we actively encourage everyone with relevant experience to apply, including people of color, LGBTQ+ and non-binary people, veterans, parents, and individuals with disabilities.

Staying safe while you apply

  • Never pay to apply, interview or accept an offer. ROLIVA never asks you for payment to apply to a job.
  • Apply only through the official “Apply on the employer’s site” button, on the employer’s own site, and check that a recruiter’s email uses that employer’s own domain rather than a free email address.
  • Be cautious of an offer made with no real interview, or pressure to decide quickly or share financial details early.

Does something look wrong with this listing? Use “Report broken link” in the role details, or read ROLIVA’s full job-safety guidance ↗.

Preparing for this role with ROLIVA

  • Check the fit.

    Compare the requirements with the experience you have confirmed, including gaps.

  • Prepare honestly.

    Build interview stories and application drafts from your own evidence.

  • Keep track.

    Save the role and record your own application status and follow-ups.

Create a free workspace or log in.

Software engineer jobs in Israel

ROLIVA currently lists 69 open roles like this in Israel.

Employers hiring for this

  • Astera Labs7 open roles
  • CrowdStrike5 open roles
  • Nebius5 open roles
  • SentinelOne5 open roles
  • Navan4 open roles

Top skills asked for

Listings whose description mentions each term. A mention is not a requirement.

At a glance

  • SeniorityLead / Principal
  • Employer posted
  • Added to ROLIVA
  • Last checked

Skills in this posting

Skills ROLIVA found in the employer’s own description above. A mention is not a requirement.

Python

Explore similar roles

Similar jobs