Lead Software Engineer, ML/RL for robotics - San Jose, United States
$119,000 - $221,000 USD yearly
Originally posted 21 October 2026 by the employer.
About the role
Cadence is seeking a Lead Software Engineer to develop simulation technology supporting physical AI and robotics applications. The role connects learning environments with engineering-grade simulators across dynamics, structures, fluids, and thermal applications.
What you'll do
- Develop simulation technology supporting physical AI and robotics applications. - Integrate learning environments with Cadence’s existing engineering-grade simulators. - Enable learning workflows that leverage simulation capabilities across dynamics, structures, fluids, and thermal applications. - Support the use of integrated learning and simulation environments to deploy robotics applications.
What you'll need
- Degree in computer science, mechanical engineering, or a related discipline.
Nice to have
- PhD in computer science, mechanical engineering, or a related discipline. - Experience and expertise in machine learning. - Experience and expertise in reinforcement learning. - Experience and expertise in vision-language models (VLMs) or vision-language-action models (VLAs).
Skills: simulation, robotics, machine learning, reinforcement learning, VLM
This role has been open 0 days — well below the 72-day median for EDA/CAD Engineering roles.
EDA/CAD Engineering · EDA Tools
|
Open roles in category
674
|
Median days open
72 d
|
Median salary
$195k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, skills in demand, and who else is hiring
| Metric | Cadence Design Systems | All employers we track in this specialty (674 roles · 75 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 155 | 674 |
| Open roles in the wider Physical Implementation family | 180 | 1464 · 110 employers |
| Median days open | 148 d | 72 d (+76 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $195k |
Skills observed across this category: simulation, robotics, machine learning, reinforcement learning, VLM
Who's hiring in this category
- Cadence Design Systems (this employer) · 154 open roles · median 152 d
- Synopsys · 61 open roles · median 39 d
- Micron Technology · 45 open roles · median 49 d
- Qualcomm · 36 open roles · median 78 d
- GlobalFoundries · 34 open roles · median 37 d
- Keysight Technologies · 32 open roles · median 75 d
How we counted: 674 open EDA/CAD Engineering (EDA Tools) roles from 75 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 21 Oct 2026. Specialty figures count only roles carrying this exact specialty label, so an employer's related work in neighbouring specialties is not included there — it is counted in the wider Physical Implementation family row. Figures refresh nightly.