Engineering, Staff Engineer - 19531

Job Description and Requirements

We Are

Synopsys is the leader in engineering solutions from silicon to systems, enabling customers to rapidly innovate AI-powered products. We deliver industry-leading silicon design, IP, simulation and analysis solutions, and design services. We partner closely with our customers across a wide range of industries to maximize their R&D capability and productivity, powering innovation today that ignites the ingenuity of tomorrow.

You Are

You have spent years at the edge of what computing can do, and you know that quantum is not magic, it is math, physics, and a lot of careful engineering to figure out where it actually helps. You think in algorithms and implementations, not hype cycles. You have built things in Qiskit or PennyLane or Cirq, run experiments on real quantum hardware or simulators, and debugged why a circuit that worked in theory fell apart in practice.

You are comfortable moving between theory and code. You can read a paper on variational quantum eigensolvers, implement it in Python, and then sit with an EDA engineer to figure out if it could ever scale to a real workflow. You do not need a perfect roadmap to start exploring. You ask the right questions, build the proof-of-concept, and know when to pivot.

Research excites you, but so does impact. You want your work to eventually matter beyond a publication. At Synopsys, you will help evaluate whether quantum computing can create real differentiation in CAE and EDA, and you will build the prototypes that prove it out.

What You'll Be Doing

• Develop and evaluate quantum algorithms for CAE and EDA applications, focusing on optimization, simulation, and computational problems relevant to Synopsys workflows
• Research emerging quantum technologies and assess their applicability to real product use cases, separating signal from noise in a rapidly evolving field
• Build software prototypes, proof-of-concepts, and tech demos using quantum frameworks like Qiskit, PennyLane, Cirq, or QuTip, and validate them against classical HPC baselines
• Collaborate with internal engineering teams, academic researchers, and industry partners to explore quantum approaches and translate research into practical engineering insights
• Contribute to patents and publications in top quantum computing conferences and journals
• Integrate quantum workflows with HPC and classical computing environments to build hybrid solutions that scale
• Ramp up on Synopsys EDA and simulation technologies to understand where quantum methods could create meaningful advantage

The Impact You Will Have

• Help Synopsys evaluate and adopt next-generation quantum computing technologies that could differentiate future CAE and EDA products
• Turn quantum research into practical engineering capabilities by building prototypes that validate real-world applicability
• Identify quantum algorithms and approaches that can improve computational workflows in silicon design, simulation, and analysis
• Build the technical foundation for quantum integration as hardware matures and becomes commercially viable
• Contribute to Synopsys intellectual property portfolio and thought leadership in quantum computing for EDA
• Bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and product engineering, ensuring quantum exploration stays grounded in business value
• Strengthen Synopsys partnerships with academic institutions and quantum hardware providers through collaborative research and proof-of-concepts

What You'll Need

• MS or PhD in Computer Science, Physics, Mathematics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field with focus on quantum computing, quantum information, or computational science
• Strong programming skills in Python and C/C++ for building algorithms, simulations, and scalable software
• Hands-on experience with quantum computing frameworks such as Qiskit, PennyLane, Cirq, QuTip, or similar platforms
• Solid understanding of quantum algorithms including VQE, QAOA, QFT, quantum optimization techniques, or quantum simulation methods
• Experience with HPC, CUDA, MPI, or scientific computing environments is a strong plus
• Track record of research contributions through publications, patents, or open-source quantum software projects is valuable

Who You Are

• You can explain a complex quantum algorithm to a classical HPC engineer in two sentences without losing the technical nuance or overselling the capability
• Self-driven and comfortable working in ambiguity, you do not wait for a perfect problem statement to start exploring solutions
• You have a learning mindset and stay current with quantum computing research, but you also know how to focus on what matters for industry-scale problems
• Strong collaborator who can work across disciplines, from physicists to software engineers to product managers, and find common ground quickly
• You think critically about where quantum actually helps and where it does not, and you are not afraid to say when a classical approach is still the right answer
• Organized enough to manage research exploration, prototype development, and stakeholder communication without losing momentum

The Team You'll Be Part Of

You will join the Office of Innovation, a team focused on bringing research and advanced computing technologies to Synopsys. The mission is to drive near-term and long-term innovation by exploring quantum computing, AI and foundation models, and HPC acceleration. This team evaluates emerging technologies, builds proof-of-concepts, and works closely with product engineering to identify where new approaches can create real differentiation in EDA and simulation workflows.

Rewards and Benefits

We offer a comprehensive range of health, wellness, and financial benefits to cater to your needs. Our total rewards include both monetary and non-monetary offerings. Your recruiter will provide more details about the salary range and benefits during the hiring process.

At Synopsys, we want talented people of every background to feel valued and supported to do their best work. Synopsys considers all applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, military veteran status, or disability.