Principal Design Verification Engineer, Silicon Engineering

Job Title

Principal Design Verification Engineer, Silicon Engineering

Role Summary

Lead verification efforts for digital ASIC and FPGA designs used in Starlink space and ground systems. Work with cross-disciplinary teams (architecture, design, firmware, validation, ASIC implementation) to define and execute verification plans from pre-silicon through post-silicon validation and chip bring-up.

Experience Level

Senior-level — requires 10+ years of experience in design verification and testbench development.

Responsibilities

Deliver thorough verification of complex digital designs and drive verification milestones across the project lifecycle.

• Lead and execute verification test plans for block- and system-level verification.
• Develop and maintain verification testbenches and infrastructure.
• Contribute to pre-silicon verification, chip bring-up, and post-silicon validation activities.
• Define and implement coverage models; analyze results and close verification gaps.
• Collaborate with architecture, design, firmware, and validation teams to resolve issues and meet milestones.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and constraints followed by preferred skills.

• Must-have: 10+ years of experience in design verification and testbench development for digital ASICs and/or FPGAs.
• Must-have: Proven ability to lead verification efforts and deliver against milestones.
• Must-have: Hands-on RTL verification experience, including writing and debugging testbench code and automation scripts.
• Must-have: Experience across pre-silicon verification, chip bring-up, and post-silicon validation.
• Must-have: Ability to work extended hours and weekends as required to meet critical milestones.
• Requirement: Must meet U.S. export control/ITAR eligibility (U.S. citizen, lawful permanent resident, refugee, asylee, or eligible to obtain required State Department authorizations).
• Nice-to-have: Experience with UVM/OVM/VMM and constrained-random verification methodologies.
• Nice-to-have: Strong object-oriented programming and scripting skills (for example Python) for verification automation.
• Nice-to-have: RTL design experience and strong problem-solving and coding skills.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science is required. Advanced degree (MS/PhD) in Electrical or Computer Engineering is preferred.

About the Company

Company: SpaceX

Headquarters: Hawthorne, California, United States

SpaceX is focused on developing space technologies to enable human exploration of Mars and beyond. The company is known for its advancements in rocketry and its Starlink satellite constellation, which delivers high-speed internet globally.