Design Engineer II (Middle-end)

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

Job Description: Digital Design Engineer (Middle-end)

Position Overview

We are seeking a highly motivated Digital Design Engineer (Middle-end) to join our IP development team. This role will be responsible for middle-end implementation and signoff activities across the full IP development cycle, including synthesis, DFT, STA, ECO, and signoff.

The ideal candidate will work closely with cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality IP solutions for advanced technology programs. In addition to core engineering execution, this role is expected to contribute to AI-assisted design methodologies, flow automation, and productivity improvement initiatives to enhance design quality and development efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

• Drive middle-end design activities including synthesis, DFT, STA, ECO, and signoff for IP development projects.
• Support implementation and signoff work for advanced IP programs, including eUSB2v2 and UCIe AP/SP developments across multiple technology nodes.
• Perform timing analysis and closure across different modes and corners, and support efficient ECO convergence.
• Collaborate with front-end design, verification, physical design, DFT, and other cross-functional teams to ensure smooth project execution.
• Develop, maintain, and optimize design flows, checks, and automation to improve QoR, robustness, and execution efficiency.
• Participate in signoff quality review and issue resolution to ensure tapeout readiness.
• Explore and apply AI/LLM-assisted methodologies to improve debug efficiency, workflow automation, and engineering productivity.
• Identify opportunities to enhance the end-to-end IP development process through scripting, intelligent automation, and methodology improvement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Microelectronics, or a related field.
• Solid understanding of digital IC design and development flow.
• Hands-on experience in one or more of the following areas: digital design, synthesis, DFT, STA, ECO, and signoff.
• Familiarity with mainstream EDA tools and digital design/middle-end/signoff methodologies.
• Experience with scripting and automation, such as Tcl, Python, Perl, or Shell, is strongly preferred.
• Strong interest in applying AI technologies to semiconductor design workflows.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail.
• Good communication and teamwork skills, with the ability to work effectively across functions in a fast-paced development environment.

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