Sr Principal HW Design Engineer/HW Architect

SAN JOSE Until 9/26/2026 8+ years exp First posted July 28, 2026 Last posted July 28, 2026
Job description

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

Cadence is the leader in hardware emulation-acceleration technologies and products. Looking for a hands-on Sr Principal HW Design Engineer/HW architect who wants to expand their scope and grow their career. This position is located in our San Jose headquarter office, reports to the Sr Engineering Group Director of R&D and works in a growing talented organization.

Our emulation-acceleration system platform is the most advanced industry-leading configurable scalable system, generation after generation, used in labs and datacenters. This position requires to architect systems, design boards, schematic entry, work with layout engineers to do PCB layout, signal integrity knowledge, bring-up, and sustain the current hardware platforms.

Key responsibilities

  • Responsible for architecture, design, bring-up, and sustain of hardware system platform.
  • Continuously develop and apply technical domain expertise in Hardware Engineering. Maintain a strong, high level of competence in Electrical and/or Computer engineering to promote the incorporation of relevant technology into products and/or processes; and provide leadership and guidance to junior technical staff members.
  • Establish and maintain Engineering Hardware standards, procedures, performance levels and documentation requirements. Propose and lead process improvement initiatives to drive breakthrough productivity and quality. Lead design reviews.
  • Strong technical domain expertise in Electrical Engineering principles, concepts, and methods, and global standards compliance in order to work through technical issues of design integrity, manufacturability, and quality issues mitigation. 

Qualifications

  • Bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering. with a minimum of 12 years of experience OR MS with a minimum of 10 years of experience OR PhD with a minimum of 8 years of experience

  • Minimum of 10 years of experience in developing board level hardware and systems
  • Demonstrated leader in guiding junior HW engineers.
  • Proven success in taking HW systems from concept to production.
  • Experience in system architecture, SI/PI, power, BM, high speed interfaces, …
  • Experience with schematic capture software
  • Good communication especially in creation of plans and reports.
  • Familiarity with volume manufacturing methods and processes is a plus.
  • Ability to lead and contribute to cross-functional teams, demonstrate good interpersonal skills, be able to operate independently and multiplex your time between many diverse tasks

    The annual salary range for California is $178,500 to $331,500. 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

    Lead hardware system architecture, design, bring-up, and sustain for advanced products

    Job title

    Sr Principal HW Design Engineer/HW Architect

    Experience level

    12+ years or 10+ years or 8+ years (depending on degree)

    Minimum experience

    8+ years exp

    Industry

    hardware

    Location requirements

    On-site in San Jose, CA, with possible remote options

    Salary

    $179k–$332k

    Management role

    Yes

    Skills & keywords

    Required skills

    electrical engineeringboard level hardwaresystem architectureschematic capture softwarecross-functional teamwork

    Preferred skills

    volume manufacturinginterpersonal skills

    Specializations

    system architecturePCB layoutsignal integrityhigh-speed interfacespower
    Locations

    Structured locations inferred from the posting.

    San Jose, CA, USA

    On-site City

    San Jose, CA, USA

    Remote City