Sr. Principal Software Engineer

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

The Opportunity

Bring your C++ expertise to challenging software engineering problems involving computational geometry and desktop engineering. In this role, you'll combine hands-on development with opportunities to influence architectural decisions, strengthen code quality, and improve how software is built and tested. You'll collaborate across disciplines to turn technical requirements into reliable, scalable solutions.

Your Impact

• Build and refine robust software. Implement, enhance, test, and troubleshoot code and scripts throughout the development lifecycle, following departmental standards, policies, and procedures.
• Influence technical direction. Contribute to architectural decisions and improvements in development practices, tools, and processes.
• Elevate code quality. Review code for correctness, consistency, maintainability, and reusability, and provide actionable recommendations.
• Solve complex technical problems. Investigate and resolve defects across the codebase, from initial identification through validation.
• Translate requirements into practical solutions. Partner with cross-functional teams to develop reliable, scalable software.
• Make technical knowledge accessible. Create clear code comments and detailed technical specifications that support ongoing development and maintenance.

• A Ph.D. in Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, Computational Engineering, or a related field with at least 6 years of relevant experience; a master's degree with at least 8 years of relevant experience; or a bachelor's degree with at least 10 years of relevant experience.
• At least 5 years of professional C++ programming experience.
• Experience developing and testing software in Windows, Linux, and/or macOS environments.
• Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate complex technical concepts clearly to technical and nontechnical audiences.
• Exceptional attention to detail and the ability to organize work, balance priorities, and meet deadlines.
• A practical, solutions-oriented mindset, with the initiative to propose and implement process improvements in an evolving environment.

• Experience with system architecture, OpenGL programming, and desktop engineering is highly preferred.
• Experience applying computational techniques in discrete and/or analytic geometry is strongly desired.
• Experience with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a plus.

• Must meet applicable clearance requirements for handling ITAR-controlled data.
• Must be willing to consider relocation to Austin, Texas.

• Foster cooperative, professional communication with colleagues and customers.
• Deliver assigned work on time and to a consistently high standard of quality.
• Attend and contribute to all required meetings.