Customer Engagement Director - PDK Enablement

Job Title

Customer Engagement Director - PDK Enablement

Role Summary

Lead a foundry PDK enablement team to develop, integrate, validate, and release process design kits (PDKs) and related technology files for customers. Work closely with foundries and internal R&D to ensure PDK quality and tool interoperability.

Experience Level

Senior-level role. The posting requests 15+ years of relevant industry experience.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include technical leadership of PDK development and operational support for customers and internal teams.

• Lead and manage a foundry PDK engineering team and PDK development projects.
• Develop and integrate foundry rule decks and technology files to support PDKs using foundry-supplied kits as a baseline.
• Perform PDK QA and validation: DRC, LVS, PEX/RC extraction, EMIR, p-cell/layout validation, model verification, reliability and DFM checks, regression testing, and release management.
• Create and maintain scripts to port design databases: device parameter translation, layout layer and via mapping, and database conversions.
• Promote and enhance Cadence PDK development tools (p-cell designers, auto-validation kits, PAS) and provide real-time tool usage support.
• Investigate issues, produce bug workarounds, and coordinate with R&D to file and track corrective change reports.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience; nice-to-have items noted.

• Hands-on experience leading PDK teams or owning PDK development projects (must-have).
• Deep understanding of analog design flows: circuit and layout design, physical verification (DRC/LVS/Dummy Fill), and post-layout RC extraction flows (must-have).
• Proficiency in scripting/programming: PERL, TCL, SKILL, or similar (must-have).
• Solid understanding of SPICE device models and simulation flows (must-have).
• Experience with Cadence PAS and Pcell Designer tools (desired).
• Direct foundry experience and familiarity with major foundry flows (preferred).
• Ability to operate with high autonomy and provide real-time customer/tool support (must-have).

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree plus 15+ years of related work experience is specified; a Master's degree is listed as a plus.

About the Company

Company: Cadence Design Systems

Headquarters: San Jose, California, USA

Cadence Design Systems is a global electronic design automation company that provides software, hardware, and intellectual property for designing advanced semiconductor chips. With over 25 years in the industry, Cadence is known for its innovative technology solutions and has been recognized by Fortune Magazine as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For. The company is dedicated to solving complex technical challenges in order to enable customers to create revolutionary products and experiences.