Apple
SemiconductorsDirect employer career site

Custom Library Design Lead

Location
San Diego, CA · On-site
Job type
Full-time
Level
Lead / Staff
Experience
10+ years
Listed
29 days ago

Skills & highlights for this role

  • standard cell design
  • PDK migration
  • layout design optimization
  • DRC/LVS
  • Virtuoso

Also useful

  • agentic flows
  • AI-driven design optimization

Summary

Do you want to utilize your engineering background to make big things happen? Can you influence, connect, get results and communicate effectively? Can you deliver on a predictable and dynamic schedule? Do you have a passion for crafting entirely new solutions? Do you love building without precedent?

As part of our Digital Design Engineering group, you’ll take imaginative and revolutionary ideas and determine how to turn them into reality. You and your team will apply engineering fundamentals and start from scratch if needed, bringing visionary ideas to the real world. Your efforts will be groundbreaking, often literally.

Join us, and you’ll help design the tools that allow us to bring customers experiences they’ve never before envisioned. Be a part of an exciting silicon design group that is responsible for crafting state-of-the-art ASICs. We have an extraordinary opportunity for Circuit Design Engineering Lead.

In this highly visible role, you will be at the heart of a processor design effort, leading custom digital circuits team and library development, making a critical impact delivering products to market quickly.

About the role

Imagine yourself at the center of our SOC design effort, collaborating with all disciplines, playing a strategic role of getting functional products to millions of customers quickly. You will have the opportunity to integrate and come-up with new ideas, as well as work with a team of talented engineers.

  • As a Library Design Engineering Lead for the custom circuits team, you will perform the following: Lead & mentor small team of highly talented circuit design engineers & provide technical guidance
  • Drive design, development and characterization/QA of high performance, low power standard cells to improve chip design PPA.
  • Drive development of power management cell designs that cater to Apple’s Low Power product requirements.
  • Identify next generation of new ideas to drive PPA improvements further engage with CPU, SOC and GPU teams on chip level integration requirements.
  • Drive library checks & analysis, develop new methodologies based on new design requirements.
  • Work with foundry on new technology requirements, drive layout dependent design optimization and layout checks.
  • Manage migration to new PDK, PDV of standard cells & releases
  • Support and drive cellular library requirements. Engage with cellular teams to understand specific design needs and cater to those requirements.

Minimum Qualifications

BS and a minimum of 10 years of relevant industry experience.

Preferred Qualifications

We are looking for applicants with 10+ years of experience in Standard cells library development.

Master's Degree preferred

  • Proven experience in developing, driving & implementing design methodologies
  • Proven experience leading and mentoring a small team
  • Strong influence, excellent interpersonal skills & able to work with multi-functional teams
  • Knowledge of standard cell layout, DRM, DRC/LVS decks, PDV flows, Virtuoso.
  • Design experience in advanced tech node device behavior with understanding of layout rules.
  • Design experience in flop, complex Standard Cells design & Power Management Cells.
  • Knowledge of agentic flows, familiarity with AI drive design optimization, checks, flows.
Read the original posting

From Apple's careers page, first listed on Rolev.ai on October 12, 2026. Rolev.ai is not the employer.

How Rolev.ai helps with this application

Rolev.ai is a job search and application tool for US job seekers. For this Custom Library Design Lead role at Apple, it shows how your resume fits, tailors your resume to the posting, and prepares the application for you to review.

  • See how you fit

    Openings from employer career sites are ranked against your whole resume—and searchable inside Claude, ChatGPT, and Cursor via Rolev.ai MCP.

  • Tailor without inventing

    Every change to your resume is checked against your original. New experience goes in only with your yes—zero fabricated claims.

  • Draft the full kit

    Tailored and Full Match resumes, role-specific cover letters, and answers to employer screening questions are prepared in seconds.

  • 1-Click Extension Autofill

    The Chrome extension fills the employer's Greenhouse, Workday, Lever, or Ashby form in 1 click. You review it and press Submit.

Common questions

Where is the Custom Library Design Lead job at Apple located?

This Custom Library Design Lead position at Apple is located in San Diego, CA (On-site). Always check Apple's application page for specific state eligibility or relocation policies.

What qualifications are required for Custom Library Design Lead at Apple?

For the Custom Library Design Lead role, Apple highlights 10+ years of relevant experience; experience with standard cell design, PDK migration, layout design optimization, DRC/LVS, Virtuoso. Rolev.ai can score your existing resume against these requirements and show any skill gaps before you apply.

How do I apply for the Custom Library Design Lead position at Apple?

This listing links directly to Apple's application page. You can apply directly on Apple's site, or use Rolev.ai to check your resume fit, generate a zero-hallucination tailored resume and cover letter for this posting, and autofill the application form in 1 click with the Rolev.ai Chrome extension. You always review the form and press Submit yourself.