Principal Product Engineer

Job Title

Principal Product Engineer

Role Summary

Customer-facing product engineer responsible for driving development and customer engagement for the Virtuoso platform, focused on layout automation and AI-driven layout flows.

The role sits at the intersection of analog/mixed-signal layout expertise, automation technology, foundry flow knowledge, and customer workflows, with the main mission of scaling next-generation Virtuoso automation flows and enabling customer adoption.

Experience Level

Senior (Principal). The posting specifies a master's degree plus at least 5 years of relevant experience; the title indicates senior-level responsibilities.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include advancing layout automation features and working directly with customers to deliver and scale Virtuoso automation flows.

• Drive technical development and roadmap input for Virtuoso layout automation and AI-driven flows.
• Engage with customers to gather requirements, validate use-cases, and demonstrate solutions.
• Translate customer workflows into product requirements and automation enhancements.
• Collaborate with product, R&D, and foundry teams to integrate constraint-driven and migration flows.
• Prototype and validate automation techniques against customer designs and foundry rules.
• Support customer onboarding and adoption of new automation features; provide technical guidance in customer meetings.
• Collect and communicate customer feedback to improve product quality and usability.

Requirements

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

• Strong hands-on experience with analog and mixed-signal layout. (Must-have)
• Deep familiarity with the Virtuoso Custom Design Platform. (Must-have)
• Exposure to layout automation, layout migration, or constraint-driven flows. (Must-have)
• Proven ability to work directly with customers, understand use-cases, and communicate technical concepts clearly. (Must-have)
• Scripting experience (Python, SKILL, or similar) is a plus. (Nice-to-have)
• Foundry flow experience and familiarity with process/design rule implications. (Nice-to-have)

Education Requirements

MS degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field, with at least 5 years of relevant experience.

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.