Director of Software Engineering – AI/ML

Job Title

Director of Software Engineering 6 AI/ML

Role Summary

Lead definition and execution of AI/ML strategy for engineering software and semiconductor design flows. Drive adoption of AI across frontend and backend toolchains, enable intelligent design automation, and collaborate with cross-functional and external partners to integrate AI into engineering productivity and decision workflows.

Experience Level

Senior role. Posting specifies ~20+ years of software development experience and 10+ years of engineering management; plus 7+ years in semiconductor and/or EDA industry.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include strategy, delivery, and team leadership for AI/ML in engineering toolchains.

• Define and own AI/ML strategy for engineering software and design flows.
• Transform semiconductor design workflows by deploying AI-driven solutions across Frontend (modeling, synthesis, optimization) and Backend (place-and-route, timing closure, physical optimization).
• Drive end-to-end integration of AI into engineering toolchains and production workflows.
• Establish scalable frameworks for data collection, labeling, pipeline management, model training/fine-tuning, validation, and deployment.
• Lead cross-functional collaboration with EDA, design, architecture, platform teams, and external partners/vendors.
• Build and grow a high-performance engineering organization; hire and manage managers and large teams.
• Define KPIs to measure productivity gains, quality improvements, and ROI from AI initiatives.
• Ensure alignment with enterprise AI programs, governance, and compliance.
• Promote continuous innovation and adoption of emerging AI/ML technologies in semiconductor workflows.

Requirements

Key must-have skills and experience, followed by preferred qualifications.

• Extensive experience applying ML/AI to real-world engineering or automation problems.
• Proven experience building and scaling AI/ML platforms (including LangChain, vector databases, and RAG-based architectures).
• Deep understanding of LLM ecosystems: embeddings, knowledge retrieval, and AI agent integration into production.
• Strong software architecture experience with distributed systems, data pipelines, and ML workflows.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and translate business/engineering needs into technical solutions.
• Experience with quality processes for project execution and delivery across multiple geographies.
• Strong executive-level communication skills.
• Experience in semiconductor and/or EDA industry (listed separately in Experience Level).

Preferred:

• Hands-on experience with EDA tools, chip design flows, or semiconductor development lifecycle.
• Practical experience with AI/ML frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch, etc.).
• Familiarity with cloud platforms, scalable compute infrastructure, and data-driven decision systems.

Education Requirements

MTech or BTech in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science is specified in the posting (MTech/BTech in EE/CS).

About the Company

Company: Renesas

Headquarters: Hitachinaka, Japan

Renesas is a global leader in embedded semiconductor solutions, providing high-quality products across automotive, industrial, infrastructure, and IoT sectors. With over 22,000 employees in more than 30 countries, the company focuses on scalable solutions that enhance user experience and drive innovation while committed to sustainability and energy efficiency.