Principal Software Engineer (Meshing)

Job Title

Principal Software Engineer (Meshing)

Role Summary

Principal Software Engineer providing technical leadership for meshing capabilities in CAE preprocessing and simulation workflows (MSC Apex and similar products). The role focuses on designing, implementing, and maintaining robust, scalable surface and volume meshing solutions and driving architectural decisions across engineering, QA, and product teams.

Experience Level

Senior (Principal). Requires 12+ years of software engineering experience, preferably in CAE, meshing, simulation, or scientific computing domains.

Responsibilities

Deliver and guide advanced meshing functionality across product development and customer workflows.

• Architect, design, and implement surface and volume meshing algorithms and production-quality components.
• Lead technical design reviews, feasibility analysis, risk assessment, debugging, and performance optimization.
• Ensure robustness, scalability, maintainability, and performance of meshing systems and data structures.
• Collaborate with product management, architecture, QA, and program teams to translate workflow needs into technical solutions.
• Investigate and resolve complex meshing defects, poor-quality elements, and performance bottlenecks.
• Mentor engineers on algorithms, design patterns, testing strategy, and engineering best practices.
• Contribute to technical roadmaps and communicate tradeoffs, risks, and implementation plans to stakeholders.

Requirements

Core technical skills and professional experience required; preferred items noted where applicable.

• Must-have: 12+ years delivering commercial or enterprise engineering software, with deep expertise in meshing algorithms (triangulation, tetrahedral/hexahedral meshing, mesh optimization, sizing controls, mesh cleanup).
• Must-have: Strong C++ experience developing large-scale engineering, scientific, or CAE applications.
• Must-have: Experience implementing production meshing components used in model preparation, CAE preprocessing, and solver handoff workflows.
• Must-have: Practical experience with CAE workflows including geometry cleanup, feature preservation, mesh associativity, and solver readiness.
• Must-have: Strong debugging, profiling, and performance optimization skills for large models and automated preprocessing.
• Nice-to-have: Experience with meshing/CAD/CAE tools such as MSC Apex, Patran, ANSA, HyperMesh, ICEM CFD, Pointwise, Gmsh, or similar platforms.
• Nice-to-have: Working knowledge of Python or other scripting for automation, diagnostics, and prototyping.
• Nice-to-have: Experience mentoring engineers and influencing cross-team technical direction; familiarity with AI-assisted development tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot).

Education Requirements

Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, Computational Engineering, Computer-Aided Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or a related engineering discipline.

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.