Principal Customer Engagement Engineer - PDK

Job Title

Principal Customer Engagement Engineer - PDK

Role Summary

Provide technical customer engagement and PDK (Process Design Kit) support for analog/mixed-signal IC design. Act as the technical liaison among customers, internal Cadence teams, and foundry partners to validate and deliver design flows, verification, and PDK components.

The role is customer-facing and focuses on debugging PDK and flow issues, ensuring design-rule and extraction flows function for target processes.

Experience Level

Senior — typically requires approximately 6+ years of relevant experience in IC design, electronic engineering, or computer science–related applications.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include:

• Engage with customers to diagnose and resolve PDK, flow, and tool issues for analog/layout/design verification.
• Support and validate analog design flows: circuit and layout design, physical verification (DRC/LVS/Dummy Fill), and post-layout RC extraction.
• Collaborate with foundries and internal teams to develop and maintain PDK components and process documentation.
• Develop and maintain scripts/tools to automate PDK validation and flow tasks.
• Support integration of SPICE models and simulation flows into customer flows where applicable.
• Provide training, documentation, and direct technical support to customers and partners.

Requirements

Key technical and professional requirements.

• Familiarity with analog design flows including layout, physical verification (DRC/LVS), and post-layout RC extraction.
• Basic understanding of semiconductor manufacturing concepts and PDK fundamentals.
• Proficiency in scripting/programming such as PERL, TCL, or SKILL.
• Customer-facing communication skills and ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams.
• Experience supporting foundry engagements or foundry-related workflows is preferred.
• Experience with Cadence tools (experience with PAS/Pcell Designer is a plus).
• Practical experience with SPICE models and simulation flows is a strong plus.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree required. Master's degree (MS) is preferred. Relevant fields include IC design, Electronic Engineering, Computer Science, or related technical disciplines. (No certifications or alternative-equivalent-education language specified.)

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.