Lead Design Engineer (CAE Cross-Domain)

Cadence Design Systems, Inc.; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. in San Jose, CA is seeking a senior CAE workflow designer to translate engineering needs into defined design specifications for integration with Nastran and CAE tools.

The role demands deep experience in CAE pre-/post-processing, solver integration, and Python automation, plus proficiency with Figma and Visual Paradigm to depict workflows and user interactions. You will collaborate with product, architecture, and QA teams to ensure feasible, testable designs and

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in Mechanical Engineering, CAE, or related engineering software domains.
• Strong understanding of Nastran solver workflows and CAE integration requirements.
• Experience with CAE pre-/post-processing workflows and solver setup.
• Experience translating engineering workflows into implementable requirements and design specs.
• Hands-on Python scripting for CAE automation and productivity.

Responsibilities

• Study CAE pre-processing and post-processing workflows and translate customer and engineering workflow needs into clear, implementation-ready design specifications for assigned features.
• Define use cases, user interactions, workflow states, edge cases, validation expectations, and acceptance criteria for development and QA teams.
• Contribute strong Nastran solver knowledge to integration design, including input deck behavior, solver result interpretation, solver-specific workflow requirements, and integration constraints.
• Create workflow designs, wireframes, interaction models, process diagrams, and system behavior models using tools such as Figma and Visual Paradigm.
• Collaborate closely with product management, architecture, development, QA, senior design engineers, and solver experts to ensure designs are technically feasible, usable, testable, and aligned with CAE engineering practice.
• Design Python scripting interfaces, automation workflows, and custom Python tools to support CAE workflow validation, productivity, and customer-specific process automation.
• Lead design reviews for assigned features and communicate design rationale, workflow tradeoffs, solver assumptions, implementation dependencies, and user experience expectations clearly to stakeholders and development teams.

Skills

CAE workflow design

Nastran solver concepts

Python scripting and automation

Communication

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Computational Engineering, or related field

Tools

Nastran

MSC Apex

Patran

Abaqus

ANSYS

HyperWorks

Figma

Visual Paradigm

GitHub Copilot

Cursor

Job description

HOME CHINA

SHANGHAI

Full time

R56788

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

Key Responsibilities

• Study CAE pre-processing and post-processing workflows and translate customer and engineering workflow needs into clear, implementation-ready design specifications for assigned features.
• Define use cases, user interactions, workflow states, edge cases, validation expectations, and acceptance criteria for development and QA teams.
• Contribute strong Nastran solver knowledge to integration design, including input deck behavior, solver result interpretation, solver-specific workflow requirements, and integration constraints.
• Create workflow designs, wireframes, interaction models, process diagrams, and system behavior models using tools such as Figma and Visual Paradigm.
• Collaborate closely with product management, architecture, development, QA, senior design engineers, and solver experts to ensure designs are technically feasible, usable, testable, and aligned with CAE engineering practice.
• Design Python scripting interfaces, automation workflows, and custom Python tools to support CAE workflow validation, productivity, and customer-specific process automation.
• Lead design reviews for assigned features and communicate design rationale, workflow tradeoffs, solver assumptions, implementation dependencies, and user experience expectations clearly to stakeholders and development teams.

Required Qualifications

Education

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Computational Engineering, Computer-Aided Engineering, Applied Mechanics, or a related engineering discipline.

Experience

• 10+ years of experience in Mechanical Engineering, CAE, simulation workflow design, solver integration, application engineering, product design, or related engineering software domains.
• Strong understanding of Nastran solver workflows, including model setup, input deck structure, boundary conditions, loads, constraints, solution sequences, solver output, and result interpretation.
• Strong experience in CAE pre-processing and post-processing workflows, including model definition, solver setup, result review, contouring, XY plotting, animation, result probing, derived calculations, and reporting.
• Demonstrated experience defining product use cases, workflow specifications, interaction models, user journeys, edge cases, and acceptance criteria for engineering software development teams.
• Experience working with software development teams to translate engineering workflow knowledge into implementable requirements, design specifications, and validation guidance.
• Hands-on experience designing Python scripting workflows, automation concepts, and custom Python tools for CAE productivity, validation, or process automation.
• Working experience using design and modeling tools such as Figma and Visual Paradigm to communicate workflows, user interactions, process diagrams, and system behavior.
• Experience with CAE products or simulation platforms such as MSC Apex, Patran, Nastran, Adams, Marc, Abaqus, ANSYS, HyperWorks, or equivalent technologies.
• Practical experience using AI-assisted software development tools such as GitHub Copilot, Cursor, or similar tools to improve productivity, documentation, and engineering workflows.

Technical Skills

• Strong knowledge of Nastran solver concepts, solver setup workflows, solver input and output interpretation, and solver-specific CAE integration requirements.
• Strong understanding of CAE model definition, mesh and geometry workflows, materials, properties, loads, constraints, contacts, boundary conditions, result cases, coordinate systems, units, and engineering validation expectations.
• Ability to specify detailed pre-processing and post-processing workflows, including user interactions, workflow transitions, error handling, validation rules, and expected system behavior.
• Proficiency with Python scripting concepts and hands‑on ability to design or develop custom Python tools for CAE automation, workflow prototyping, result processing, or productivity enhancement.
• Working knowledge of Figma for workflow mockups, user interaction design, wireframes, and design communication.
• Working knowledge of Visual Paradigm or equivalent modeling tools for process diagrams, use‑case diagrams, sequence diagrams, and system behavior documentation.
• Ability to collaborate with development teams on solver integration design, API expectations, data mapping, workflow validation, and implementation tradeoffs, with guidance from senior technical leaders when needed.
• Familiarity with CAE automation, scripting APIs, engineering data models, solver result structures, and validation workflows for commercial engineering software.

Soft Skills

• Strong communication and collaboration skills.
• Problem‑solving and analytical thinking.
• Ability to work independently and in a team environment.
• Strong organizational and time‑management skills.

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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.

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Cadence is committed to creating a diverse environment and 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.