Tools Development for Chip Physical Design

Job Description

Job Title: Internship - Tools Development for Chip Physical Design (f/m/x). Location: Ehningen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Job Type:

• Internship, fixed-term
• 6+ months in 2027
• Hybrid
• No travel required

Responsibilities:

• Develop AI-powered solutions that automate and enhance physical design workflows.
• Apply machine learning, large language models (LLMs), and data analytics to challenging EDA problems.
• Build intelligent assistants supporting floorplanning, placement, timing closure, verification, and design analysis.
• Analyze large-scale design data to identify optimization opportunities and improve design quality.
• Prototype and evaluate next-generation methodologies that reduce turnaround time and improve engineering efficiency.
• Develop robust software solutions using Python and modern software engineering practices;
• Integrate AI capabilities into existing EDA environments and semiconductor design flows.
• Collaborate with experienced chip designers and EDA software engineers.
• Work on physical implementation of processors for IBM Z and IBM Power servers, as well as semiconductor components for IBM Quantum systems.
• Collaborate with colleagues across international teams, including teams in the U.S., Israel, and India.

Qualifications:

• Enrolled in a Bachelor’s or Master’s program in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, or a related field.
• Bachelor’s degree is required.
• Familiarity with chip design flows and EDA tools.
• Strong programming skills, particularly Python or a similar language.
• Strong technical foundation and collaborative mindset;
• Strong intrinsic motivation and a proactive attitude.
• Curiosity and enthusiasm for experimentation, problem-solving, and debugging.
• Strong teamwork skills and openness to working in an international environment.
• Strong communication skills in English and German.

Preferred:

• Experience with CI/CD tools such as Git or Jenkins.
• Experience with AI-assisted development tools, coding assistants, or workflow automation.

Benefits and Compensation:

• Opportunity to work at IBM's largest European R&D site in Ehningen.
• Work alongside approximately 200 hardware development engineers within a broader site of around 1,300 employees.
• Exposure to advanced processor, semiconductor, AI, and quantum computing technologies.
• Opportunity to collaborate across disciplines, countries, and product families.
• Professional development in an environment focused on continuous learning, experimentation, and innovation.
• Hybrid work arrangement.

Other Information:

• Employment type: Intern, fixed-term.
• Position type: Internship.
• Work arrangement: Hybrid.
• Shift: General daytime.
• Travel: No travel required.
• The position is not commissionable or sales incentive based;
• Applicants should discuss specific location requirements with the recruiter after submitting their application.
• IBM is an equal-opportunity employer and complies with applicable employment, citizenship, and immigration laws.