High Level Synthesis Compiler Engineer

Job Title

High Level Synthesis Compiler Engineer

Role Summary

Develop and maintain the compiler components of an FPGA toolflow, focusing on lowering, analysis/transformation passes, correctness- and QoR-driven optimizations, and integration with implementation, timing, and debug flows. Work with customers to translate requirements into concrete compiler and flow improvements and mentor other engineers.

Experience Level

Senior level — requires extensive experience (8+ years) in compiler or EDA/FPGA implementation software.

Responsibilities

Core responsibilities include design, implementation, and customer-facing engineering:

• Design, implement, and optimize IR, lowering, analysis and transformation passes for the FPGA design compiler.
• Improve correctness, quality-of-results (QoR), runtime, and memory scalability on large designs.
• Collaborate with customers to understand workloads, workflows, and success criteria; translate those into product improvements and support.
• Mentor engineers via code reviews, design reviews, pairing, and technical coaching.
• Document behavior, limitations, and workarounds for internal and external audiences.
• Stay current with EDA and compiler technologies (including LLVM/MLIR where applicable) and FPGA design practices.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience; preferred items listed separately.

• 8+ years building compilers, LLVM/MLIR-based tools, or EDA/FPGA implementation software.
• Strong C++ for production systems, including performance, multithreading, and large codebases.
• Hands-on experience with MLIR and/or LLVM: IR design, passes, backends, or integration into larger flows.
• Solid digital design and FPGA knowledge: LUT/FF/BRAM/DSP primitives, clocks, timing, and how tool choices affect QoR.
• Familiarity with implementation flows (synthesis, place-and-route, STA, constraints) and common failure modes in real designs.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills for working with customers and cross-functional teams.
• Proven ability to mentor and develop other engineers through review and direct guidance.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with simulation, formal, debug environments, or high-level design flows (e.g. HLS) mapping to backends.
• Experience shipping software used by external customers or large internal user bases.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a closely related field is required. PhD in those fields is preferred.

About the Company

Company: Altera

Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Altera provides leadership programmable solutions for applications ranging from cloud to edge, unveiling limitless AI possibilities. Their extensive product portfolio includes FPGAs, CPLDs, Intellectual Property, development tools, and System on Modules aimed at accelerating innovation in various fields.