Applications Engineering, Staff Engineer

Ansys, Inc.; Sunnyvale (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Synopsys is seeking a senior Applications Engineer to lead technical engagements across the sales cycle, using Ansys tools to address structural, thermal, or reliability challenges in electronics packaging. You will configure, script, and deploy simulations within customers’ CAD/PLM environments and build Python automation to drive repeatable analysis.

You will collaborate with product teams, deliver training, and create practical examples that demonstrate value.

Qualifications

• BS in Mechanical Engineering or related field with 5+ years in an engineering software environment, or MS with 3+ years, or PhD with industry exposure to structural, thermal, or reliability simulation.
• Deep subject matter expertise in structural mechanics applied to electronics or semiconductor domains, including packaging, PCB assemblies, or chip-level reliability analysis.
• Hands-on experience with Ansys software or other commercial CAE tools like COMSOL, Abaqus, or similar platforms used for finite element analysis.
• Strong Python scripting skills with demonstrated experience building automation workflows, integrating APIs, or developing custom applications on top of commercial engineering software.
• Ability to diagnose complex simulation problems, communicate technical tradeoffs clearly to both engineers and business stakeholders, and write documentation or presentations in fluent English.

Responsibilities

• Lead technical engagements throughout the sales cycle, from discovery calls where you map customer workflows to live demos where you show how Ansys software solves their specific structural, thermal, or reliability challenges
• Work directly with semiconductor and electronics packaging engineers to understand their design problems, then configure, script, and deploy simulation solutions using Ansys tools that fit into their existing CAD and PLM environments
• Build Python-based automation scripts and custom workflows using Ansys APIs to help customers move from manual, one-off analyses to repeatable, scalable simulation processes
• Collaborate with Ansys product teams to translate what you are hearing from customers into feature requests, test pre-release builds on real-world problems, and document best practices that become part of the product roadmap
• Deliver consulting services and training sessions, from introductory workshops to deep-dive technical implementations, helping customers get value from day one
• Support field marketing efforts by authoring technical content, presenting at industry conferences, and creating application examples that demonstrate differentiated value in electronics and semiconductor markets
• Travel to customer sites, trade shows, and internal meetings up to 25% of the time, with flexibility to increase based on project needs

Skills

Python scripting

Electronics packaging

Customer-facing

Engineering software

Education

BS in Mechanical Engineering

MS/PhD in related field

Tools

Ansys

COMSOL

Abaqus

Job description

We AreSynopsys is the leader in engineering solutions from silicon to systems, enabling customers to rapidly innovate AI-powered products. We deliver industry-leading silicon design, IP, simulation and analysis solutions, and design services. We partner closely with our customers across a wide range of industries to maximize their R&D capability and productivity, powering innovation today that ignites the ingenuity of tomorrow.

You AreYou have spent years solving real engineering problems, not just running simulations. The kind where a customer's product launch depends on getting the structural analysis right, and you know how to work backward from their constraint to a solution they can actually use. You understand that the best technical answer means nothing if it does not fit their workflow, their timeline, or their team's skill set.

You are comfortable walking into a room where you are the only one who understands both the physics and the software, and you can translate between those worlds without making anyone feel lost. When a customer describes a packaging failure or a thermal issue, you are already thinking about which solver to use, what assumptions to test, and how to script the setup so they can repeat it next month.

You do not wait for perfect data. You work with what is available, ask the specific questions that matter, and move the project forward. If a demo does not go as planned, you troubleshoot in real time and turn it into a teaching moment. At Synopsys, you will work with customers who are building the next generation of semiconductors and electronics, and what you help them solve actually ships.

What You'll Be Doing

• Lead technical engagements throughout the sales cycle, from discovery calls where you map customer workflows to live demos where you show how Ansys software solves their specific structural, thermal, or reliability challenges
• Work directly with semiconductor and electronics packaging engineers to understand their design problems, then configure, script, and deploy simulation solutions using Ansys tools that fit into their existing CAD and PLM environments
• Build Python-based automation scripts and custom workflows using Ansys APIs to help customers move from manual, one-off analyses to repeatable, scalable simulation processes
• Collaborate with Ansys product teams to translate what you are hearing from customers into feature requests, test pre-release builds on real-world problems, and document best practices that become part of the product roadmap
• Deliver consulting services and training sessions, from introductory workshops to deep-dive technical implementations, helping customers get value from day one
• Support field marketing efforts by authoring technical content, presenting at industry conferences, and creating application examples that demonstrate differentiated value in electronics and semiconductor markets
• Travel to customer sites, trade shows, and internal meetings up to 25% of the time, with flexibility to increase based on project needs

The Impact You Will Have

Customers will close design cycles faster because the simulation workflows you built actually work in their environment, with their data, under their constraints

Sales teams will win competitive opportunities because you showed up with a solution that addressed the customer's specific failure mode, not a generic pitch

Product teams will build features that matter because you brought them real customer requirements, not guesses, and tested those features before they shipped

Engineers at semiconductor and electronics companies will trust simulation more because you helped them see accurate correlation between their models and physical test results

Synopsys will expand its footprint in electronics packaging and semiconductor reliability because you made the software accessible to teams who previously saw simulation as too complex or disconnected from their workflows

New users will ramp faster because the training materials, scripts, and examples you created give them a clear path from installation to productive work

The business will grow because the technical relationships you build turn into renewals, expansions, and references that open doors in new accounts

What You'll Need

• BS in Mechanical Engineering or related field with 5+ years in an engineering software environment, or MS with 3+ years, or PhD with industry exposure to structural, thermal, or reliability simulation
• Deep subject matter expertise in structural mechanics applied to electronics or semiconductor domains, including packaging, PCB assemblies, or chip-level reliability analysis
• Hands-on experience with Ansys software or other commercial CAE tools like COMSOL, Abaqus, or similar platforms used for finite element analysis
• Strong Python scripting skills with demonstrated experience building automation workflows, integrating APIs, or developing custom applications on top of commercial engineering software
• Ability to diagnose complex simulation problems, communicate technical tradeoffs clearly to both engineers and business stakeholders, and write documentation or presentations in fluent English
• Willingness to travel domestically up to 25% of the time for customer meetings, on-site implementations, and industry events
• Experience in customer-facing roles such as applications engineering, technical support, or consulting services is a strong plus, especially if you have worked with senior engineering leaders or executives

Who You Are

• You can walk into a customer meeting, listen to a vague description of a product failure, and walk out with a clear plan for which analysis to run, what boundary conditions to test, and how to set up the model so they can reuse it
• When a demo goes sideways, you do not panic. You troubleshoot in front of the customer, explain what you are doing, and turn the problem into a teaching moment that builds credibility
• You have worked in environments where the answer is not in the user manual. You dig into APIs, test scripts, read source code if you have to, and figure out how to make the tool do what the customer actually needs
• If a customer asks for a feature that does not exist yet, you do not just say no. You find a workaround, document it, and loop in the product team with enough detail that they can prioritize it properly
• You are comfortable presenting technical content to a room full of PhD engineers and then simplifying the same concept for a program manager who needs to understand risk and timeline, not equations
• You manage your own calendar, follow up without being reminded, and treat customer commitments like they matter, because they do

The Team You'll Be Part Of

You will be joining the Ansys Customer Excellence team within Synopsys, a group that works directly with customers to deploy simulation software, solve real engineering problems, and support the sales process with deep technical expertise. This is a multi-disciplinary team that spans different physics domains, industries, and customer types. You will collaborate with sales, product development, and other applications engineers to deliver solutions that help customers engineer what is ahead.

Your recruiter will share more about the team structure, reporting lines, and how this role fits into the broader Synopsys organization during the interview process.

Rewards and Benefits

We offer a comprehensive range of health, wellness, and financial benefits to cater to your needs. Our total rewards include both monetary and non-monetary offerings. Your recruiter will provide more details about the salary range and benefits during the hiring process.

In addition to the base salary, this role may be eligible for an annual bonus, equity, and other discretionary bonuses. Synopsys offers comprehensive health, wellness, and financial benefits as part of a competitive total rewards package. The actual compensation offered will be based on a number of job-related factors, including location, skills, experience, and education. Your recruiter can share more specific details on the total rewards package upon request. The base salary range for this role is across the U.S.

At Synopsys, we want talented people of every background to feel valued and supported to do their best work. Synopsys considers all applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, military veteran status, or disability.