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RTL2GDS, Product Engineering Architect

Cadence Design Systems
August 31, 2026
Full-time
On-site
San Jose, California, United States
$178,500 - $331,500 USD yearly
Physical Design Jobs, Level - Senior

Job Title

RTL2GDS, Product Engineering Architect

Role Summary

Senior product engineering role within Cadence’s Digital and Signoff Group (DSG). Provide technical leadership and place-and-route expertise for RTL-to-GDSII flows, supporting customers and internal R&D, application engineering, and product marketing teams.

Primary mission: drive product-quality design flows, diagnose customer issues, perform benchmarks, and deliver PPA- and timing-focused solutions for advanced process nodes.

Experience Level

Senior — requires substantial experience (guidance: 7+ years in digital implementation or equivalent).

Responsibilities

Accountable for customer-facing technical support, internal collaboration, and development of implementation methodologies.

  • Provide place-and-route and signoff expertise to customers and internal teams.
  • Investigate and resolve customer issues with R&D and release teams.
  • Develop and validate flows and methodologies for RTL-to-GDSII implementation.
  • Perform design benchmarks and PPA/timing optimization studies at advanced nodes.
  • Collaborate with application engineering, product marketing, and R&D to prioritize fixes and enhancements.
  • Document solutions and communicate findings clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience for effective performance in this role.

  • Strong knowledge of ASIC design methodologies across the RTL-to-GDSII flow.
  • Hands-on experience with timing closure and PPA optimization at 7nm and below.
  • Solid understanding of VLSI physical design and timing analysis, including clock tree synthesis, routing optimization, and silicon signoff challenges.
  • Experience with industry-standard EDA tools for synthesis, physical design, and signoff at advanced nodes.
  • Proficiency with scripting; familiarity with AI tools for productivity enhancement is a plus.
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills and ability to present technical findings.
  • Minimum experience guidance: 7+ years in digital implementation (stated under Experience Level).

Education Requirements

BS in Electrical Engineering is specified. Position expects significant practical experience in digital implementation (guidance: at least seven years). No additional degrees or certifications were 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.

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Date Posted: 2026-08-29