Director, System Engineering & Integration

Cadence; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 178,500 - 331,500; Full time

Job summary

Cadence in California is seeking a Director of System Engineering & Integration to lead end-to-end system integration across silicon, hardware, firmware, network and software for advanced emulator platforms. You will own the integration strategy, system bring-up, and verification to deliver production-ready systems while aligning globally distributed teams.

You will build and lead cross-functional engineering groups, define architecture and testing strategies, and drive on-time product delivery

Qualifications

• Deep expertise in system engineering across silicon, hardware, firmware, drivers, OS and software.
• Experience in integrating and delivering complex multi-interface systems.
• Knowledge of large computing rack system architecture.

Responsibilities

• Build and lead global engineering teams responsible for system integration and validation.
• Drive execution excellence, organizational scaling, and talent development.
• Own end-to-end integration and bring-up of multi-subsystem platforms.
• Define and drive system-level validation and verification strategies.

Skills

System engineering

Hardware integration

Firmware development

PCIe

Ethernet

Linux OS & software

Global team leadership

Education

Bachelor's in EE/CE

MS preferred

PhD with 8+ years

Tools

Linux

Virtualization

Networking hardware

Job description

Position Overview

The Director of System Engineering & Integration leads the definition, architecture, and execution of end-to-end system integration across silicon, hardware, firmware, network and software for complex emulator platforms. This role owns the integration strategy, system bring-up, and verification required to deliver production-ready systems, while driving alignment across globally distributed, cross-functional teams.

Leadership & Organizational Excellence

• Build and lead global engineering teams responsible for system integration and validation.
• Drive execution excellence, organizational scaling, and talent development.
• Foster strong collaboration across hardware, firmware, software, ASIC, and operations teams.

System Architecture & Integration Strategy

• Define the system integration architecture and technical strategy across ASIC, hardware, firmware, FPGA, and system software.
• Establish design-for-integration principles, interface contracts, and integration readiness criteria.
• Guide cross-functional technical decisions across interconnects, embedded systems, and system infrastructure.

System Integration, Bring-up & Validation

• Own end-to-end integration and bring-up of multi-subsystem platforms.
• Define and drive system-level validation and verification strategies, including performance and stress testing.
• Lead resolution of complex cross-layer issues across hardware and software.

Methodology, Tooling & Infrastructure

• Establish scalable validation infrastructure, automation frameworks, and test environments.
• Drive standardization and reuse of system-level test methodologies.

Execution & Product Delivery

• Own system readiness from bring-up to production release, ensuring performance and reliability targets.
• Partner with engineering and product leadership to ensure predictable delivery.

Qualifications

• Deep expertise in system engineering across silicon, hardware, firmware, drivers, OS and software.
• Experience in integrating and delivering complex multi-interface systems.
• Knowledge of large computing rack system architecture.
• Proven system-level debugging capability and complex system issue root cause resolutions.
• Experience leading global, cross-functional engineering teams.
• Deep experience with interconnect technologies like Ethernet, RoCE / UEC, DDRx, PCIe.

Education

• BS degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field with a minimum of 12 years of experience OR MS with a minimum of 10 years of experience OR PhD with a minimum of 8 years of experience
• Masters / advanced degree in related field preferred.

Preferred Skills

• Communication infrastructures such as PCIe, Infiniband, and distributed Ethernet network setups.
• Distro-independent full spectrum of Linux in kernel space and user space in both server and embedded system, including system administration.
• Distributed computing with high-availability and scalability.
• System virtualization and containerization and real-world applications.

Impact

Drives successful integration and delivery of complex emulator systems, ensuring seamless interaction across hardware, firmware, network, and software while shaping system engineering practices at scale.

The annual salary range for California is $178,500 to $331,500. 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.