Lead Application Engineer – Custom IC Front-End (Analog Simulation & AI-Enabled Flows)

Cadence is a pivotal leader in electronic design, building upon more than 30 years of computational software expertise. The company applies its underlying Intelligent System Design strategy to deliver software, hardware and IP that turn design concepts into reality.

Cadence customers are the world’s most innovative companies, delivering extraordinary electronic products from chips to boards to systems for the most dynamic market applications including consumer, hyperscale computing, 5G communications, automotive, aerospace industrial and health.

At Cadence, we hire and develop leaders and innovators who want to make an impact on the world of technology.

Job Title: Lead Application Engineer – Custom IC Front-End (Analog Simulation & AI-Enabled Flows)

Location: Milan, Italy

Reports to: Application Engineering Director

Job Overview:

This is an excellent opportunity to work on challenging, complex projects at mature and advanced technology nodes with leading semiconductor companies. As an Application Engineer (AE), you will provide expert technical support and enable customer success around Cadence custom IC front-end solutions, with a strong focus on analog simulation. You will also support the adoption and evaluation of emerging AI-assisted design and debug flows that improve engineering productivity, accelerate problem resolution, and simplify access to advanced design methodologies.

Job Responsibilities:

• Provide expert-level technical support for Custom IC front-end solutions, including analog simulation using Spectre, Explorer, and Assembler, and AI-assisted design flows for analog productivity, debug, and automation.
• Conduct product demonstrations and customer evaluations, and deliver technical training sessions.
• Prepare and deliver high-impact technical presentations to customers and internal stakeholders.
• Track and manage all customer technical issues — documenting, prioritizing, and following through to resolution while ensuring high levels of customer satisfaction.
• Lead technical discovery meetings and perform onsite debugging sessions directly with customers.
• Identify customer pain points where AI-assisted workflows can improve setup, analysis, debug, and design efficiency.
• Collaborate with AE peers, R&D, and sales teams while also working independently to support technology adoption initiatives and strategic engagements.
• Contribute to the evaluation, enablement, and validation of AI-driven workflows for analog and custom design.
• Provide structured feedback to Engineering and Product Marketing on customer requirements, product improvement opportunities, and field use cases for AI-assisted capabilities and workflow automation.

Job Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Electronic Engineering.
• Around 5 to 10 years of industry experience in IC design or EDA tools.
• Strong experience working in a Linux/Unix environment.
• Strong experience in analog IC design at mature and/or advanced technology nodes.
• Hands-on experience with SPICE simulation tools.
• Good understanding of the front-end design flow.
• Interest in AI-enabled engineering workflows, with the ability to evaluate how automation or AI assistance can improve analog design, simulation setup, debug, and results analysis.
• Fluency in both Italian and English.

Additional Skills/Preferences:                     

• Mixed-signal and RF simulation expertise.
• Exposure to scripting, automation, or data-driven workflows.
• Background in analog design and/or CAD/EDA support.
• Strong problem-solving and communication skills, with a customer-oriented mindset and the ability to manage complex technical situations.
• An autonomous working style combined with strong team collaboration.
• Curiosity about applying AI to real engineering problems, with a pragmatic focus on customer value, productivity, and trustworthy technical outcomes.

Additional Information:

In this role, you will work closely with AE peers, R&D, sales, and Product Marketing teams, engaging directly with leading semiconductor customers through technical discovery meetings and onsite debugging sessions. You will operate both independently and collaboratively, contributing to strategic engagements and technology adoption initiatives — including the enablement and validation of emerging AI-driven workflows for analog and custom IC design.

Cadence is committed to equal employment opportunity and employment equity throughout all levels of the organization. We strive to attract a qualified and diverse candidate pool and encourage diversity and inclusion in the workplace. 

Travel:Travel to customer sites is required for onsite engagements and debugging sessions; frequency varies according to account and project needs.