Principal EDA Software Architect

pOrganisation/Company IMEC Research Field Engineering Physics Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Recognised Researcher (R2) Established Researcher (R3) Leading Researcher (R4) Other Profession Positions Other Positions Application Deadline 3 Feb 2027
- 15:18 (Europe/Brussels) Country Belgium Type of Contract Permanent Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No /p h3Offer Description /h3 pShape the next generation of EDA software for advanced semiconductor technologies, combining deep EDA expertise, software architecture, and hands-on development. /p pbWhat you will do /b /p pYou will take a leading technical role in defining, architecting, and developing next-generation EDA software for advanced semiconductor technologies. You will work at the intersection of EDA, semiconductor technology, and design, developing new software and algorithms to address topics that are not adequately supported by today's industrial or open-source EDA solutions. Main focus of the work will be geared towards addressing EDA challenges within a CMOS 2.0 context. Fine-grain 3D integration of heterogeneous technologies poses novel requirements across the whole EDA spectrum from logic synthesis to thermal modelling.br/As Principal EDA Software Architect, you will provide technical direction for imec's growing EDA research activities. You will make key architectural decisions, develop scalable software architectures, and establish software engineering practices that enable research software to grow into robust and reusable EDA research solutions.br/This is a hands-on technical role. You will design and implement software and algorithms yourself, while providing technical guidance and mentoring to other researchers and software developers. You will help translate new research ideas into well-engineered software and drive larger software developments across multiple contributors.br/You will work closely with imec researchers, semiconductor technology experts, universities, and imec's industrial partners. Through these interactions, you will identify emerging EDA challenges, influence research directions, and help turn new concepts into practical EDA capabilities.br/This is a rare opportunity to combine the freedom of advanced research with the experience of developing capable EDA software, while gaining early access to semiconductor technologies and integration concepts that will shape future generations of computing. /p ul liYou have a PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field. /li liYou have significant industrial and/or academic experience in developing EDA software, with a strong preference for candidates who have experience in both environments. /li liYou have a proven track record of designing, developing, and delivering substantial software systems for EDA or closely related domains. /li liYou combine deep knowledge of EDA algorithms and methodologies with strong software engineering skills. Experience with digital implementation is highly valued. /li liYou have experience defining software architecture and making technical decisions that allow complex software systems to remain scalable, maintainable, and extensible. /li liYou are an accomplished programmer and are comfortable working directly on complex software systems. You value modern software engineering practices, including testing, version control, code review, continuous integration, documentation, and reproducible development. /li liYou enjoy mentoring researchers and developers, reviewing technical approaches, challenging assumptions, and helping teams converge on sound engineering solutions. /li liYou can bridge research and engineering: you can recognize a promising research idea, understand the underlying algorithms, and identify how to turn it into high-quality software that can be used on real semiconductor design problems. /li liYou are a strong communicator and collaborator who can work effectively with researchers, software engineers, semiconductor experts, universities, and industrial partners. /li /ul pFor imec UK: this position is open only to candidates who already hold a valid UK residence permit or work authorization. We are currently not able to provide UK visa sponsorship. /p pLanguages ENGLISH Level Excellent /p h3Additional Information /h3 pbWho you are /b /p ul liYou have a PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field. /li liYou have significant industrial and/or academic experience in developing EDA software, with a strong preference for candidates who have experience in both environments. /li liYou have a proven track record of designing, developing, and delivering substantial software systems for EDA or closely related domains. /li liYou combine deep knowledge of EDA algorithms and methodologies with s