Robotics

Cadence Systems•San Jose, CA

About The Position

At Cadence, we hire and develop leaders and innovators who want to make an impact on the world of technology. Senior Manager/Director, Corporate Strategy & Development – Physical AI/Robotics Location: San Jose, CA Role Summary We’re seeking a corporate strategy leader who blends strategic acuity with hands ‑ on technical depth to accelerate our momentum in Physical AI and robotics. You will shape corporate growth strategies and spearhead inorganic initiatives—including M&A, direct investments, and LP commitments—while orchestrating cross ‑ functional execution with Product, R&D, Finance, Legal, and GTM. This is a high ‑ visibility role for a builder–strategist who loves diving into markets, technology stacks, and deal processes—then crafting executive ‑ ready narratives that inspire action. Description Create and refine corporate growth strategies with a dedicated focus on Physical AI/robotics—market maps, product–market fit analyses, and executive storylines that turn insights into decisions. Develop investment thesis on the Physical AI stack (robots, middleware, simulation, training, deployment) and quantify where and how Cadence can create differentiated value. Build a high ‑ quality pipeline of direct investment targets and LP opportunities; run thesis ‑ driven sourcing and diligence, and prepare investment memos for leadership. Partner with product and engineering to assess buy/build/partner options—including co ‑ development, strategic partnerships, minority investments, and acquisitions. Lead end ‑ to ‑ end corporate development execution: source, evaluate, negotiate, and close transactions; partner with integration team to drive plans that realize strategic and financial value. Establish mechanisms for fast ‑ turn competitive intelligence, annual market sizing/forecasting, and executive dashboards that inform capital allocation and portfolio bets. Expected Impact in 6–12 Months Stand up an operating cadence for executive reporting on the Physical AI landscape. Deliver investment thesis on Physical AI/robotics for executive review. Close 3-4 partnerships/investments/acquisitions.

Requirements

BS in Engineering (minimum) and 6+ years of relevant experience spanning corporate strategy, corporate development, venture investing, or product/engineering roles in robotics.
Familiarity with the entire physical AI/robotics policy training and validation pipeline, including hands-on experience with modern simulation environments (e.g. Isaac Sim, Gazebo, Drake), deep understanding of physics-based simulation tools and engines (e.g. PhysX, MuJoCo), and proficiency in development frameworks and middleware (e.g. ROS/ROS2).
Proven end ‑ to ‑ end M&A execution experience: sourcing, diligence, valuation/modeling, negotiation, close, and integration planning.
Investment acumen: skilled at building theses, conducting technical/market/product diligence, drafting memos, and recommending direct investments and LP commitments.
Executive communication: ability to distill complex technical and market insights into crisp narratives, visuals, and decision ‑ ready materials.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree (MS, MBA) or equivalent; publications or demonstrated thought leadership in robotics/AI.
Familiarity with reinforcement learning, imitation learning, and sim ‑ to ‑ real transfer; practical exposure to datasets, synthetic data generation, and evaluation protocols.
Track record of cross ‑ functional leadership with Product, R&D, Finance, Legal, and GTM; comfort operating in ambiguous, fast ‑ moving environments.
Builder–operator mindset: strategic rigor matched with willingness to get into the technical and financial details.
Data ‑ to ‑ narrative craftsmanship: turn analysis into compelling executive materials and operating mechanisms.
Bias for partnership: co ‑ create outcomes with engineering, product, and external innovators.

Responsibilities

Create and refine corporate growth strategies with a dedicated focus on Physical AI/robotics—market maps, product–market fit analyses, and executive storylines that turn insights into decisions.
Develop investment thesis on the Physical AI stack (robots, middleware, simulation, training, deployment) and quantify where and how Cadence can create differentiated value.
Build a high ‑ quality pipeline of direct investment targets and LP opportunities; run thesis ‑ driven sourcing and diligence, and prepare investment memos for leadership.
Partner with product and engineering to assess buy/build/partner options—including co ‑ development, strategic partnerships, minority investments, and acquisitions.
Lead end ‑ to ‑ end corporate development execution: source, evaluate, negotiate, and close transactions; partner with integration team to drive plans that realize strategic and financial value.
Establish mechanisms for fast ‑ turn competitive intelligence, annual market sizing/forecasting, and executive dashboards that inform capital allocation and portfolio bets.