Senior Principal C++ Software Engineer

SAN JOSE Until 8/21/2026 First posted April 29, 2026 Last posted April 29, 2026
Job description

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

We are looking for an experienced C++ software engineer to join the Protium Software Development Team to develop and enhance the FPGA-Based Prototyping product which is used by leading CPU/GPU/HyperScaler companies for pre-Silicon software validation of their  SOC’s. 

You will develop new algorithms and optimizations for QoR (Quality of Results) and performance for the Protium Timing flow working with a small team of engineers to develop our next generation FPGA based verification platform.

Responsibilities:

  • Enhance and support Timing Engine to add new features and extend existing features
  • Enhance and support Timing Flow to improve P&R compile time
  • The role involves designing, tuning, and innovating timing graph algorithms and flow operating on multi‑billion‑node timing graphs
  • Write Specifications and Unit Tests for your code

Position Requirements/Qualifications:

  • BS with a minimum of 10 years of experience OR MS with a minimum of 7 years of experience OR PhD with a minimum of 5 years of experience
  • Experience in EDA software development.
  • Strong background in SDC constraints and Timing Analysis
  • Excellent programming skills in C/C++
  • Strong knowledge of Tcl is preferred
  • Experience in multi-threaded/ concurrent programming are pluses.
  • Prior experience with Emulation or FPGA software development is an added plus.

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 (OTE) 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.

We’re doing work that matters. Help us solve what others can’t.

About this role

Summary

Develop FPGA-based verification tools, optimize timing algorithms, work on advanced EDA software projects.

Job title

Senior Principal C++ Software Engineer

Experience level

10+ years or equivalent qualification

Industry

software

Location requirements

San Jose, on-site, no remote work

Salary

The annual salary range for California is $154,000 to $286,000.

Management role

No

Skills & keywords

Required skills

C++Eda software developmentSDC constraintstiming analysisunit tests

Preferred skills

Tclmultithreaded programmingFPGA software developmentemulation

Specializations

C++FPGAEDAtiming analysismultithreaded programming
Locations

Structured locations inferred from the posting.

San Jose, CA, USA

On-site City