Sr Principal Application Engineer

Job Description Summary

The Senior Principal Application Engineer will be a trusted technical leader, driving complex pre-sales and post-sales engagements for Cadence Digital IC products at advanced nodes. This role demands a proven ability to solve the toughest design challenges and deliver innovative solutions that ensure customer success.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead technical strategy and execution for critical customer design projects, influencing design methodologies and implementation flows at advanced nodes (3nm and below)
• Partner with sales teams to grow Cadence business by showcasing Cadence’s leadership in digital implementation.
• Serve as a primary consultant for advanced-node design synthesis & implementation, Agentic-AI and signoff, leveraging deep expertise in synthesis, place & route, CTS,  floor planning, timing signoff, design convergence with timing closure, and power optimization as key aspects.
• Develop and deploy custom solutions using scripting languages (TCL, PERL, Python) to address unique customer requirements.
• Mentor and guide junior engineers, fostering technical excellence and knowledge sharing across teams.
• Qualifications
• Bachelor’s or Master’s in Electrical/Computer Engineering.
• 12+ years of hands-on experience in physical implementation and signoff at 7nm and below, with multiple successful tapeouts.
• Demonstrated expertise in digital synthesis, place-and-route, static timing analysis, AI in EDA, and achieving timing and power goals for advanced node designs.
• Strong debugging skills with the ability to isolate and resolve critical design issues efficiently.
• Proficiency in scripting for automation and flow customization.

Exceptional communication and leadership skills, with a track record of building

The annual salary range for California is $143,500 to $266,500. You may also be eligible to receive incentive compensation: bonus, equity, and benefits. Sales positions generally offer a competitive On Target Earnings (OTE) incentive compensation structure. Please note that the salary range is a guideline and compensation may vary based on factors such as qualifications, skill level, competencies and work location. Our benefits programs include: paid vacation and paid holidays, 401(k) plan with employer match, employee stock purchase plan, a variety of medical, dental and vision plan options, and more.