Design Engineering Architect – Systems and Interfaces

Cadence; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 186,000 - 345,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation

Paid holidays

401(k) matching

Employee stock purchase plan

Medical, dental, vision insurance

Job summary

Cadence seeks an experienced Design Engineering Architect for the SSG role in San Jose. You will lead integration of Cadence IP into customer SoCs, develop reference designs and training, and guide complex pre-sales and post-sales engagements.

You will work with Sales, Marketing, Development, and Support to resolve issues, drive product adoption, and define documentation and collateral. Occasional international travel is required.

Qualifications

• Experience with RTL design, verification and debugging high-speed interfaces (PCIe/UCIe/Ethernet).
• IP integration into complex SoCs with understanding of system architecture and interfaces.
• Proficient with AMBA protocols: ACE, CHI, AXI, APB.
• RTL coding and debugging in Verilog/SystemVerilog.
• End-to-end SoC flows: synthesis, constraints, DFT, CDC, timing analysis.
• Strong problem-solving and cross-functional collaboration.
• BS/MS with 8–12+ years in EE/CS and travel availability.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical authority for Cadence interface controllers and system-level IP integration.
• Lead resolutions of critical customer issues and escalations with cross-functional teams.
• Develop reference designs, technical collateral and application notes for IP integration and SoC design.
• Develop and deliver training for customers and field application engineers.
• Provide advanced technical guidance on IP integration, configuration and deployment.
• Lead product evaluations and release-readiness reviews, identifying risks and usability gaps.
• Analyze customer needs to propose product and documentation improvements.

Skills

RTL design & verification

IP integration into SoCs

AMBA protocols (ACE/CHI/AXI/APB)

Verilog/SystemVerilog

End-to-end SoC flows (synthesis, DFT,

Cross-functional leadership

Effective communication

Travel readiness (up to 10%)

Education

BS in EE/CS with 12+ years

MS in EE/CS with 8+ years

Job description

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

Design Engineering Architect – Systems and Interfaces

San Jose

Job Description

The SSG Central Applications Engineering team seeks an experienced SoC design engineer to enable the integration and deployment of Cadence IP in complex customer system designs. As a Design Engineering Architect, you will serve as a senior technical leader, enabling the successful integration and adoption of Cadence interface IP in our customers’ SoCs. In this role, you will work closely with the SSG IP sales, marketing, development engineering, and customer support teams. You will contribute to product definition, develop technical content and examples, and drive complex pre-sales and post-sales engagements. The Cadence Silicon Solutions Group (SSG) develops and licenses IP for SoC and ASIC designs, including high-performance DSPs, CPUs, interface IP, DDR controllers, hardware accelerators, and subsystems. These technologies enable applications such as machine learning, edge AI, radar, audio, speech, and vision. Leading semiconductor companies use Cadence IP in billions of chips shipped annually. This role enables customer adoption of Cadence IP and addresses complex system integration challenges.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the technical authority for Cadence interface controllers and system-level IP integration in customer engagements.
• Lead resolution of critical customer issues and escalations, coordinating with development engineering, sales, marketing, and customer support teams on pre-sales and post-sales engagements.
• Develop reference designs, technical collateral, and application notes for IP integration, SoC design, and verification.
• Develop and deliver training for customers and field application engineers.
• Provide advanced technical guidance to customers, support teams, and field application engineers on IP integration, configuration, and system-level deployment.
• Lead product evaluations and release-readiness reviews, identifying integration risks, usability gaps, and advanced customer use cases.
• Analyze and propose enhancements to our products and documentation based on customer needs and use cases.

Required Skills

• Demonstrated expertise in the RTL design, verification, and debug of high-speed interface protocols such as PCIe, UCIe, and Ethernet.
• Experience integrating IP into complex SoCs, with a strong understanding of system architecture, interfaces, and on-chip interconnects.
• Experience with AMBA protocols, including ACE, CHI, AXI, and APB.
• Proficient in writing and debugging RTL (Verilog, SystemVerilog).
• Experience with end-to-end SoC implementation flows, including RTL synthesis, design constraints, DFT, CDC, and static timing analysis.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex hardware and system problems, identify root causes, and drive cross-functional teams to resolution.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• A BS in EE/CS with 12+ years, or an MS in EE/CS with 8+ years of relevant work experience.
• Ability to travel up to 10% of the time, including internationally.

The annual salary range for California is $185,500 to $344,500. 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.

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