Sr. Principal Technical Quality Engineer

Cadence Design Systems; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 154,000 - 286,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus incentive program

Equity participation

401(k) with company match

Job summary

Cadence Design Systems, Inc. in California is seeking a Technical Quality Engineer to join the Silicon Solutions Group. You will analyze design defects, define QA/release QC processes, and implement AI-driven improvements to drive higher quality across design teams.

The role involves cross‑team collaboration, certification activities for ISO standards, and support for foundry IP quality programs. On‑site in NA centers, with a focus on process excellence and customer communication.

Qualifications

• MSEE required.
• 7+ years of experience in IC design/verification or silicon QA.
• Experience with defect management processes such as RCA, 5Why and 8D is a plus.

Responsibilities

• participate on the global SSG Quality Team.
• Represent the SSG Quality Team to customers and partners.
• Improve quality procedures across multiple design teams.
• Analyze design defects to determine root causes and corrective actions.
• Maintain ISO 9001 and ISO 26262 certifications and support foundry quality programs.

Skills

IC design

Defect analysis

Communication

Teamwork

Education

MSEE

Tools

RCA

5Why

8D

Job description

At Cadence, we hire and develop leaders and innovators who want to make an impact on the world of technology. Work with the Cadence global silicon solutions teams who are designing semiconductor IP for the top electronic product companies in the world, in leading edge semiconductor processes, using the latest industry tools and methodologies. As a Technical Quality Engineer and member of the Silicon Solutions Group global quality team, you will collaborate with IP design teams, methodology teams, CAD teams, and engineering management, to ensure that we are constantly improving our processes and consistently delivering the highest quality product to our customers. You will be the quality champion for one or more design organizations within SSG and be responsible for analyzing design defects to determine root causes, defining design QA and release QC processes, and maximizing the efficiency of these processes through implementation of agentic AI systems. You will communicate key information to senior engineering management by summarizing and interpreting the quality metrics that measure the effectiveness of our quality systems. Finally, you will participate in quality certification activities for standards such as ISO 9001, and support foundry IP quality programs for leading foundries.

Location

• On-site in one of the North American design centers (Austin, Cary).

Requirements

• Education: MSEE
• Experience: 7+ years
• Hands‑on experience in one or more areas of analog or digital IC design or verification, or experience in silicon fabrication quality assurance/control.
• Experience in analog IC design is a plus.
• Experience in defect management and defect analysis processes such as RCA, 5Why, 8D is a plus.
• Strong communication skills, quality consciousness, proactivity, and sense of responsibility.
• Strong problem analysis and teamwork skills.

Responsibilities

• Actively participate on the global SSG Quality Team.
• Represent the SSG Quality Team to customers and partners.
• Work across the global organization to implement improvements to flows and procedures.
• Define and maintain quality procedures for multiple design teams.
• Improve effectiveness and efficiency of quality procedures through implementation of agentic AI systems.
• Generate, interpret, and communicate quality metrics.
• Perform Root‑Cause-Analysis and identify Corrective Actions.
• Hold Post‑Mortem reviews and summarize and communicate results.
• Assist design teams in preparation of Failure Analysis reports.
• Maintain quality certifications such ISO 9001 and ISO 26262.
• Support participation in external semiconductor foundry quality programs.

Compensation & Benefits

The annual salary range for California is $154,000 to $286,000. You may also be eligible to receive incentive compensation: bonus, equity, and benefits. Sales positions generally offer a competitive On Target Earnings 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.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Cadence is committed to equal employment opportunity throughout all levels of the organization. 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.