CAE Senior Principal Software Architect (Design)

Description

The company designs, manufactures, and assembles advanced systems for some of the most demanding industries, using an integrated engineering and manufacturing platform that turns complex designs into production-ready solutions.

The company is a qualified Tier 1 supplier to global automotive OEMs and supports leading U.S. aerospace and defense companies.

This senior principal architect role (level E8) sits in the Design and Engineering Systems (DES) organization. You will set the architecture for complex engineering applications and shared software used across multiple programs and product areas.

You will act as a functional technical advisor, bringing depth in desktop application architecture, interactive 3D systems, and computational engineering software to emerging technical problems.

You will work across DES, the Platform team, and related engineering functions to keep architecture consistent, reduce systemic technical risk, and help multiple teams build reliable engineering software at scale.

Responsibilities

• Set and carry out architecture strategy for interactive 3D desktop and web-based CAE applications across projects, programs, and product areas.
• Create shared application frameworks, architecture standards, and reusable software capabilities for use across DES.
• Lead the design of scalable GPU compute orchestration, clustered GPU job scheduling, and resource management for computationally heavy engineering workflows.
• Predict emerging technical challenges and solve complex problems in application architecture, graphics rendering, UI frameworks, computational workloads, and platform integration.
• Lead major technical initiatives that raise software scalability, application performance, development efficiency, and architectural consistency across programs.
• Define architectural principles and technical decision frameworks that shape software design, technology selection, and implementation across teams.
• Resolve systemic dependencies and integration problems across desktop applications, shared services, computational design systems, and engineering platforms.
• Shape technical roadmaps and architectural priorities across DES and the Platform IPT so investments match long-term computational design and engineering goals.
• Guide engineering teams and senior technical contributors so complex systems are reliable, maintainable, and extensible.
• Lead architecture reviews and major design decisions, weighing program needs against system-wide considerations.
• Define approaches for combining topology optimization, computational geometry, CAE solvers, and GPU-accelerated computation into cohesive engineering applications.
• Mentor senior and staff-level engineers and build architectural decision-making and technical leadership across teams.
• Represent the function in high-impact technical discussions with engineering leaders, platform stakeholders, customers, and vendors as needed.
• Assess architectural risks, emerging technologies, and technology investments that affect multiple programs or product areas.

Requirements

• You must be able to lawfully access information and technology subject to U.S. export controls.
• You have extensive experience defining software architecture for complex desktop applications, CAE systems, engineering platforms, or comparable industrial software.
• You have proven expertise in interactive 3D application architecture, graphics rendering, UI frameworks, and high-performance software.
• You have a record of defining and executing technical strategy across multiple projects, programs, or product areas.
• You have built shared software frameworks, architecture standards, and reusable platform capabilities that teams have adopted.
• You solve unusual, complex technical problems that span several systems or engineering disciplines.
• You have designed GPU compute infrastructure, distributed execution systems, or computational job orchestration.
• You make sound, high-impact architectural decisions and balance competing technical and program demands.
• You influence technical direction across organizational boundaries and advise engineering leaders on architecture strategy.
• You have led major technical initiatives and mentored senior technical contributors.
• You are familiar with Siemens NX, Teamcenter, and comparable CAE, CAD, and PLM ecosystems.
• Preferred: You have 12+ years of experience in software engineering, architecture, CAE, CAD, PLM, scientific computing, or related technical fields.
• Preferred: You have defined architecture across multiple engineering applications, platforms, or product areas.
• Preferred: You have integrated topology optimization, computational geometry, simulation solvers, and GPU-accelerated workloads into engineering software.
• Preferred: You have designed systems that pair interactive 3D visualization with asynchronous or distributed computation.
• Preferred: You have improved architecture consistency, software reuse, engineering productivity, and system reliability across multiple programs.
• Preferred: You have helped shape multi-year technical roadmaps and architectural investment decisions.
• Preferred: You have advised technical leaders on complex architecture, technology selection, and system integration.
• Preferred: You have represented an engineering software function in customer, vendor, or cross-functional technical discussions.

Conditions

Pay is set by job level. For this role, the company will consider candidates at levels E07 to E09, assessed through the interview process.

E07 (Principal Engineer): $171,450 to $235,740

E08 (Sr. Principal Engineer): $197,990 to $272,240

E09 (Technical Fellow): $228,650 to $314,390

Overall range: $171,450 to $314,390 USD

Work model: onsite, hybrid, or remote.

Benefits

• Total compensation includes a competitive salary, an equity plan, and possible discretionary bonuses tied to results.
• Paid vacation, sick time, and company holidays, plus a year-end shutdown period.
• Paid parental leave for growing families.
• HMO and Premium PPO health and wellness options.
• Company-sponsored life insurance and short- and long-term disability coverage.
• Reimbursement for learning and development to help you build skills.