Intern - Characterization and Support (Fall 2026)

Cadence Design Systems; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Cadence Design Systems in San Jose, California, offers an on-site internship in the DDR IP group as a Post-Silicon Validation Engineering Intern. The role emphasizes validating chip performance, debugging silicon issues, and delivering characterization reports while collaborating across analog and digital teams.

Ideal candidates are pursuing a Bachelor's or Master's in EE with 0-2 years of experience, possess strong communication, and can work full-time on-site during the Fall.

Qualifications

• Pursuing a Bachelor's or Master's in electrical engineering with 0-2 years of relevant work experience.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.
• Prior experience in the hardware semiconductor or electronics industry is a plus.
• Experience with script-based test automation in Python, C or other scripting tools is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Validate system-level and electrical performance of internal silicon test chips.
• Debug silicon issues in collaboration with analog and digital design teams.
• Deliver high-quality characterization reports.

Skills

Communication

Team collaboration

Hardware industry experience

Python scripting

C programming

Education

Pursuing Bachelor's or Master's in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Python

C

Job description

Position

At Cadence, we hire and develop leaders and innovators who want to make an impact on the world of technology. This is an on-site internship role in San Jose, California, within the Cadence DDR IP group for a Post-Silicon Validation Engineering Intern. (local candidates will be considered)

Responsibilities

Intern will be responsible for validating both system-level and electrical performance of internal silicon test chips. The role includes debugging silicon issues in close collaboration with analog and digital design teams, and delivering high-quality characterization reports. The intern will work cross-functionally to ensure product functionality, reliability, and successful deployment. The candidate is expected to be strongly motivated by the prospect of driving system and electrical testing efforts for identifying silicon issues and being involved in debug efforts for the same. Very good fundamentals in analog and digital electronics, RTL, Signal integrity, control systems.

Requirements

• Currently pursuing a Bachelor's or Master's degree in electrical engineering with 0-2 years of relevant work experience
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment
• Prior experience in the hardware semiconductor or electronics industry is a plus
• Experience with script-based test automation in Python, C or other scripting tools is a plus

Eligibility and Working Conditions

As this role is expected to be employed in San Jose during the Fall semester, applicants should ideally be attending a local school. Candidate should be able to prove they can work fulltime hours in San Jose during the Fall. Also need to have legal authorization to work in the US.

Compensation

The annual salary range for California is $40/hr to $69/hr. You may also be eligible to receive incentive compensation: bonus, equity, and benefits. 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.

About Cadence

Cadence plays a critical role in creating the technologies that modern life depends on. We are a global electronic design automation company, providing software, hardware, and intellectual property to design advanced semiconductor chips that enable our customers create revolutionary products and experiences. Thanks to the outstanding caliber of the Cadence team and the empowering culture that we have cultivated for over 25 years, Cadence continues to be recognized by Fortune Magazine as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For. Our shared passion for solving the world's toughest technical challenges, our dedication to pushing the limits of the industry, and our drive to do meaningful work differentiates the people of Cadence.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Cadence is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, basis of disability, or any other protected class.