Software Engineer II - Clock Tree Synthesis (CTS), Innovus R&D - Cadence - Cambridge, United Kingdom

This is an early-career software engineering role within Cadence’s Innovus R&D team, focused on Clock Tree Synthesis (CTS) - a core component of physical chip design that directly influences chip performance and power efficiency. You will contribute to the development and improvement of high-performance EDA algorithms while exploring innovative AI-driven approaches to design automation. Working alongside a collaborative, global team in Cambridge, you will be supported by strong mentorship as you grow your technical depth and make a meaningful contribution to industry-leading chip design tools. Design and implement EDA algorithms: Build and refine CTS algorithms in C/C++, with a focus on performance, quality of results (QoR), scalability, and correctness across diverse chip design scenarios. Debug, optimise, and enhance CTS capabilities: Identify and resolve performance bottlenecks and robustness issues within the Innovus platform, improving reliability and runtime efficiency. Develop AI-driven and automated workflows: Apply emerging agentic and data-driven approaches to explore design trade-offs, reduce manual effort, and improve the adaptability of physical design flows. Explore adaptive techniques for physical design: Investigate and prototype data-informed methods that improve tool reliability and design outcomes across varying chip architectures. Collaborate with global R&D teams: Partner with engineers and researchers across Cadence’s worldwide offices to align on technical direction, share findings, and contribute to roadmap development. Communicate technical work clearly: Document algorithms, design decisions, and experimental findings through code reviews, written summaries, and team discussions. Stay current with the field: Actively engage with advances in algorithms, AI/ML, and EDA research to bring new thinking into the team’s work.