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. is seeking a Lead Design Engineer with a strong Mechanical/CAE background to own CAE workflow design and solver integration. You will study pre-/post-processing workflows, define use cases, and collaborate with product, architecture, and solver experts to ensure feasible, usable solutions.

You will also lead Python scripting development, create tooling for CAE validation, and communicate complex system behavior using Figma and Visual Paradigm.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical/Aerospace/CAE or related field.
• 10+ years in Mechanical Engineering/CAE/design software domains.
• Strong knowledge of Nastran solver workflows and CAE integration.
• Experience defining use cases, interaction models, and acceptance criteria.
• Hands-on Python scripting for CAE automation and tooling.
• Proficiency with Figma and Visual Paradigm for workflow communication.

Responsibilities

• Study CAE pre-/post-processing workflows and translate needs into design specs.
• Define use cases, interactions, workflow states, and acceptance criteria.
• Contribute to solver integration design including input/output handling.
• Create workflow designs, wireframes, and system behavior models using Figma and Visual Paradigm.
• Collaborate with product, architecture, QA, and solver experts to ensure feasibility.
• Lead design reviews and communicate rationale and tradeoffs to stakeholders.
• Design Python scripting interfaces and automation workflows for CAE productivity.

Skills

Nastran workflows

CAe workflow design

Python scripting

Figma

Visual Paradigm

Team collaboration

Solver integration

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Computational Engineering, CAE, Applied Mechanics

Tools

Nastran

MSC Apex

Patran

Abaqus

Ansys

HyperWorks

GitHub Copilot

Cursor

Figma

Visual Paradigm

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. Position Summary We are seeking a Lead Design Engineer with a strong Mechanical Engineering or related engineering background, solid CAE domain expertise, and strong knowledge of Nastran solver workflows. This role studies pre-processing and post-processing workflows, develops detailed design specifications, documents use cases, specifies user interactions, and supports solver integration requirements for implementation by the development team. The successful candidate will lead assigned CAE workflow design activities, working with senior technical leaders to connect customer engineering needs, solver behavior, product usability, and implementation-ready requirements. The role also includes Python scripting design, development of custom Python tools, and use of design and modeling tools such as Figma and Visual Paradigm to communicate workflow concepts, interaction models, and system behavior clearly.

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.

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.

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.