Internship - Tools Development for Chip Physical Design (f/m/x)

Introduction

Join a Team That Builds the Future of Computing

At IBM’s largest European R&D site in Ehningen, Germany, innovation is a team effort. With 1,300 employees and around 200 engineers in our hardware development team, we’re shaping the future of computing—together.

We design the core components behind IBM Z, IBM POWER, and IBM Quantum systems—technologies that power cloud computing, AI, big data, and more. What sets us apart is how we work: across borders, disciplines, and product families. You’ll collaborate with colleagues in the U.S., Israel, and India, using AI, Agile and Design Thinking to drive creativity and continuous learning.

If you're passionate about technology and thrive in a collaborative, forward-thinking environment, we’d love to meet you.

Your Role And Responsibilities

We are looking for curious and highly motivated students to join our Processor Physical Design Team for a 6+ month internship in 2027.

Our team develops the physical implementation of industry-leading processors for IBM Z and IBM Power servers, as well as key semiconductor components for IBM Quantum systems. Working at the forefront of advanced semiconductor technology, we continuously explore new ways to improve design productivity, quality, and innovation.

During your internship, you will collaborate with experienced chip designers and EDA software engineers to investigate how Artificial Intelligence can transform physical design tools, methodologies, and workflows. AI is rapidly reshaping semiconductor development, creating exciting opportunities to automate complex tasks, accelerate design convergence, and unlock new levels of engineering productivity.

Possible Projects Include

• Developing AI-powered solutions that automate and enhance physical design workflows
• Applying machine learning, large language models (LLMs), and data analytics to challenging EDA problems
• Building intelligent assistants that support floorplanning, placement, timing closure, verification, and design analysis
• Analyzing large-scale design data to identify optimization opportunities and improve design quality
• Prototyping and evaluating next-generation methodologies that reduce turnaround time and increase engineering efficiency
• Developing robust software solutions using Python and modern software engineering practices
• Integrating AI capabilities into existing EDA environments and semiconductor design flows

Preferred Education

Bachelor's Degree

Required Technical And Professional Expertise

We’re looking for candidates with a strong technical foundation and a collaborative mindset. Ideally, you have:

• Enrolled in a Bachelor’s or Master’s program in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, Physics or related field
• Familiarity with chip design flows and EDA tools
• Strong programming skills (Python or similar)
• Experience with CI/CD tools (e.g. Git, Jenkins) is an advantage
• Experience with AI-assisted development tools, coding assistants, or workflow automation is an advantage
• Strong intrinsic motivation and proactive attitude
• Curiosity and enthusiasm for experimentation, problem-solving, and debugging
• Strong team player and open minded to work in an international team
• Strong communication skills in English and German