Sr Principal Application Engineer

Posted:
1/14/2026, 6:51:54 AM

Location(s):
San Jose, California, United States ⋅ California, United States

Experience Level(s):
Expert or higher ⋅ Senior

Field(s):
Software Engineering

At Cadence, we hire and develop leaders and innovators who want to make an impact on the world of technology.

Key Responsibilities

  • Lead technical strategy and execution for critical customer design projects, influencing design methodologies and implementation flows at advanced nodes (3nm and below)
  • Partner with sales teams to grow Cadence business by showcasing Cadence’s leadership in digital implementation.
  • Serve as a primary consultant for advanced-node design synthesis & implementation, Agentic-AI and signoff, leveraging deep expertise in synthesis, place & route, CTS,  floor planning, timing signoff, design convergence with timing closure, and power optimization as key aspects.
  • Develop and deploy custom solutions using scripting languages (TCL, PERL, Python) to address unique customer requirements.
  • Mentor and guide junior engineers, fostering technical excellence and knowledge sharing across teams.
  • Qualifications
  • Bachelor’s or Master’s in Electrical/Computer Engineering.
  • 12+ years of hands-on experience in physical implementation and signoff at 7nm and below, with multiple successful tapeouts.
  • Demonstrated expertise in digital synthesis, place-and-route, static timing analysis, AI in EDA, and achieving timing and power goals for advanced node designs.
  • Strong debugging skills with the ability to isolate and resolve critical design issues efficiently.
  • Proficiency in scripting for automation and flow customization.
  • Exceptional communication and leadership skills, with a track record of building strong customer relationships.

The annual salary range for California is $143,500 to $266,500. You may also be eligible to receive incentive compensation: bonus, equity, and benefits. Sales positions generally offer a competitive On Target Earnings (OTE) incentive compensation structure. Please note that the salary range is a guideline and compensation may vary based on factors such as qualifications, skill level, competencies and work location. Our benefits programs include: paid vacation and paid holidays, 401(k) plan with employer match, employee stock purchase plan, a variety of medical, dental and vision plan options, and more.

We’re doing work that matters. Help us solve what others can’t.

Cadence Design Systems

Website: https://www.cadence.com/

Headquarter Location: San Jose, California, United States

Employee Count: 5001-10000

Year Founded: 1988

IPO Status: Public

Industries: Aerospace ⋅ Electronic Design Automation (EDA) ⋅ Hardware ⋅ Mobile ⋅ Semiconductor ⋅ Software