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

Cadence is a pivotal leader in electronic design, building upon more than 30 years of computational software expertise. The company applies its underlying Intelligent System Design strategy to deliver software, hardware and IP that turn design concepts into reality.

Cadence customers are the world’s most innovative companies, delivering extraordinary electronic products from chips to boards to systems for the most dynamic market applications including consumer, hyperscale computing, 5G communications, automotive, aerospace industrial and health.

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

Job Title:  Software Engineer II

Location:  Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Reports to:  Software Engineering Director

Job Overview:

In this role, you will develop and maintain tools used for PDK (Process Design Kit) development and validation. You’ll collaborate closely with internal Cadence teams and customers to understand requirements, design solutions, and ensure high‑quality delivery through robust testing.

We are seeking talented individuals who can contribute to software design, implementation, and testing, both to support existing product releases and to drive innovative enhancements that enable our customers to adopt new and advanced technologies.

Based in our Edinburgh office, you will join a highly experienced local team as part of a global R&D organization

Job Responsibilities:

• Develop and maintain PDK‑related tools using Java, C++, and SKILL.
• Gather requirements for new features and produce design, functional, and test specifications.
• Collaborate with team members to enhance software performance, stability, and quality.
• Integrate work with our build and regression systems to validate code changes as part of the development process.

Job Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science (with Electrical elective) plus 2 years of relevant experience, or a Master’s degree.

Additional Skills/Preferences:                     

• Strong programming skills in Java and C++.
• Solid understanding of PDKs.
• Experience developing PDK device library components such as:
  • Virtuoso techfile
  • SKILL parameterized cells (PCells)
  • Symbols, CDF, callbacks
  • Simulation / netlisting
• Experience in custom layout design or within the EDA industry, ideally as a software developer in a CAD team.
• Familiarity with Cadence Virtuoso layout tools (or similar).

Soft Skills:

• Strong commitment to quality - able to balance quick turnaround with doing things right the first time.
• Comfortable working in a highly collaborative environment and giving/receiving constructive feedback.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

We can offer you:

• Competitive salary
• 25 days holiday per year
• Private Medical and Dental plans, Income Protection and Life Insurance
• Group Personal Pension Plan
• Cycle to Work scheme and gym subsidy
• 5 days of paid time to volunteer to give back to our communities
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• The opportunity to work for a Great Place to Work© & Fortune 100 organisation
• And much more, so do not hesitate to contact us!

Travel: Minimal travel is expected.

Additional Information:

Cadence has consistently achieved a ‘Top 50’ ranking in the Great Place to Work awards in the UK.

Cadence is committed to equal employment opportunity and employment equity throughout all levels of the organization. We strive to attract a qualified and diverse candidate pool and encourage diversity and inclusion in the workplace. 

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