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Principal Design Engineer - Controller

3+ months ago Shanghai, China

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Job Title: Principal Design Engineer
Location: Shanghai, China

Job Summary
We are looking for a Principal Design Engineer to drive the development of advanced USB4 Controller IP.

Primary Responsibilities
• Serve as a technical leader and senior design expert for high-performance USB4 Controller IP development.
• Drive key architecture and design decisions for the USB4 controller with a strong understanding of power, performance, area, feature, and product requirements.
• Lead frontend design activities for USB4 controller development from specification and micro-architecture through RTL implementation, subsystem integration, and design reviews.
• Define and implement key controller functions such as register architecture, DMA/data movement flows, interrupt handling, link and power management related control logic, and host/system interfaces.
• Drive controller-to-PHY integration, including interface definition, bring-up readiness, interoperability considerations, and issue resolution across subsystem boundaries.

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• Provide technical guidance and mentoring to team members, while promoting engineering quality and execution excellence.
• Work closely with verification teams on test planning, coverage closure, debug strategy, and root-cause analysis for complex design issues.
• Collaborate with firmware, validation, and lab teams on bring-up, compliance-related debugging, and pre-/post-silicon issue investigation to ensure successful USB4 controller project delivery.
• Partner with project management and global cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality IP on schedule.
• Support IP integration, release readiness, and customer delivery activities.
• Explore and apply AI-assisted methods where appropriate to improve engineering efficiency in areas such as design analysis, issue triage, automation scripting, and technical knowledge sharing.

Position Requirements
• MS or BS degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
• 10+ years of relevant industry experience.
• 8+ years of hands-on ASIC design experience delivering advanced Controller IP and/or ASIC/SoC products.
• Strong knowledge of digital architecture, RTL design, verification methodology, and end-to-end ASIC development flows.
• Solid understanding of controller IP architecture and one or more industry-standard protocols at the controller, transaction, or link layer, such as USB, PCIe, Ethernet, MIPI, or similar standards.
• Strong understanding of controller design concepts, including AMBA-based bus interfaces, DMA architecture, descriptor-based data transfer, register programming models, and interrupt systems.
• Good understanding of controller-to-PHY integration, post-silicon validation, and the system-level role of controller IP in complex SoCs.
• Demonstrated ability to provide technical leadership, mentor engineers, and influence design direction across cross-functional teams.
• Customer-focused mindset with the ability to align internal execution to meet or exceed customer expectations.
• Strong team-oriented attitude, innovative thinking, and a practical, results-driven approach.
• Excellent cross-functional communication skills in both English and Mandarin.
• Self-motivated, proactive, and capable of handling multiple tasks effectively.

Preferred Qualifications
• Direct experience with USB4, USB 3.x, or other high-speed interface controller architectures is a strong plus.
• Direct experience developing high-speed interface Controller IP in advanced process nodes.
• Experience with controller-PHY interface standards such as PIPE, UTMI/ULPI, or similar interfaces.
• Experience working with embedded microcontrollers, DSPs, or firmware development related to Controller IP.
• Experience with Cadence ASIC design tools and development environments.
• Interest in or experience with AI-assisted engineering tools for productivity improvement, data analysis, debug support, or documentation automation.

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Client-provided location(s): Shanghai, China
Job ID: Cadence-R52553
Employment Type: FULL_TIME
Posted: 2026-01-09T18:38:15

Perks and Benefits

  • Health and Wellness

    • Dental Insurance
    • Vision Insurance
    • Life Insurance
    • Short-Term Disability
    • Long-Term Disability
    • FSA
    • HSA With Employer Contribution
    • Fitness Subsidies
    • On-Site Gym
    • Mental Health Benefits
    • Virtual Fitness Classes
    • Health Insurance
  • Parental Benefits

    • Birth Parent or Maternity Leave
    • Non-Birth Parent or Paternity Leave
    • Fertility Benefits
    • Adoption Assistance Program
    • Family Support Resources
    • Adoption Leave
  • Work Flexibility

    • Flexible Work Hours
    • Hybrid Work Opportunities
  • Office Life and Perks

    • Casual Dress
    • On-Site Cafeteria
    • Holiday Events
  • Vacation and Time Off

    • Paid Vacation
    • Unlimited Paid Time Off
    • Paid Holidays
    • Personal/Sick Days
    • Leave of Absence
    • Volunteer Time Off
  • Financial and Retirement

    • 401(K) With Company Matching
    • Stock Purchase Program
    • Performance Bonus
    • Financial Counseling
  • Professional Development

    • Tuition Reimbursement
    • Promote From Within
    • Mentor Program
    • Access to Online Courses
    • Internship Program
    • Leadership Training Program
  • Diversity and Inclusion