Cadence
Sr. Mgr/Director, Corporate Strategy & Development – Physical AI/Robotics
Cadence, San Jose, California, United States, 95199
Senior Manager/Director, Corporate Strategy & Development – Physical AI/Robotics
Location: San Jose, CA Base pay range: $144,000.00/yr - $267,000.00/yr 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. 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. Build a high‑quality pipeline of direct investment targets and LP opportunities; run thesis‑driven sourcing and diligence, and prepare investment memos for leadership. Develop a point‑of‑view on the Physical AI stack (robots, middleware, simulation, training, deployment) and quantify where and how we create differentiated value. Partner with product and engineering to assess buy/build/partner options—including co‑development, strategic partnerships, minority investments, and acquisitions. 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
Deliver 2–3 investment‑grade theses in Physical AI/robotics for executive review. Advance 1–2 transactions through signed term sheets, with integration readiness mapped across product, GTM, and people. Stand up an operating cadence for executive reporting on the Physical AI landscape. Minimum Qualifications
BS in Engineering (minimum) and 5+ 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. Preferred Qualifications
Advanced degree (MS, MBA) or equivalent; publications or demonstrated thought leadership in roboticsAI. 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. Ways of Working
Builder–operator mindset: strategic rigor matched with willingness to get into the technical and financial weeds. 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.
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Location: San Jose, CA Base pay range: $144,000.00/yr - $267,000.00/yr 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. 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. Build a high‑quality pipeline of direct investment targets and LP opportunities; run thesis‑driven sourcing and diligence, and prepare investment memos for leadership. Develop a point‑of‑view on the Physical AI stack (robots, middleware, simulation, training, deployment) and quantify where and how we create differentiated value. Partner with product and engineering to assess buy/build/partner options—including co‑development, strategic partnerships, minority investments, and acquisitions. 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
Deliver 2–3 investment‑grade theses in Physical AI/robotics for executive review. Advance 1–2 transactions through signed term sheets, with integration readiness mapped across product, GTM, and people. Stand up an operating cadence for executive reporting on the Physical AI landscape. Minimum Qualifications
BS in Engineering (minimum) and 5+ 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. Preferred Qualifications
Advanced degree (MS, MBA) or equivalent; publications or demonstrated thought leadership in roboticsAI. 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. Ways of Working
Builder–operator mindset: strategic rigor matched with willingness to get into the technical and financial weeds. 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.
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