Principal Digital Design Engineer - MCU

Job Title

Principal Digital Design Engineer - MCU

Role Summary

Lead digital IC design for high-performance microcontroller (MCU) products in NXP's Catania engineering team. Deliver end-to-end digital design from specification and architecture through RTL, synthesis, verification, and post-silicon validation.

The role collaborates with analog, mixed-signal and software teams to ensure system integration and product readiness for edge/industrial MCU applications.

Experience Level

Senior — minimum 10+ years of digital IC design experience.

Responsibilities

Lead and execute digital design activities across the SoC development flow:

• Define specifications and digital architecture for SoC components.
• Develop RTL in Verilog/SystemVerilog and drive synthesis and implementation.
• Perform static timing analysis (STA), power analysis, and formal verification.
• Coordinate with analog, mixed-signal, and software teams to define interfaces and ensure integration.
• Conduct design verification, simulation, hardware emulation, and CDC analysis.
• Participate in post-silicon validation, debug, and issue resolution.
• Mentor junior engineers and lead technical discussions and design reviews.
• Produce design documentation, test plans, and contribute to process improvements.

Requirements

Key skills and experience required or preferred.

• Must-have: 10+ years of digital IC design experience with a strong portfolio of completed projects.
• Must-have: Proficiency in Verilog/SystemVerilog for RTL design and verification.
• Must-have: Experience with EDA tools for synthesis and STA (examples: Synopsys Design Compiler, Cadence Genus, PrimeTime), formal verification (e.g., Synopsys Formality), and simulation (e.g., VCS, Questa).
• Must-have: Strong understanding of CDC issues, timing closure, power integrity, and low-power design techniques.
• Must-have: Scripting experience for automation (Python, Perl, Tcl).
• Nice-to-have: Familiarity with mixed-signal integration challenges and verification methodologies.
• Nice-to-have: Experience with DFT, physical implementation awareness, and post-silicon debug.
• Strong analytical, debugging, communication, and team collaboration skills; ability to lead technical discussions.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, or a related technical field.

About the Company

Company: NXP Semiconductors

Headquarters: Nijmegen, Netherlands

NXP Semiconductors N.V. is a global semiconductor company that provides High Performance Mixed Signal and Standard Product solutions. With over 45,000 employees and operations in more than 35 countries, NXP is a leader in secure connectivity solutions for embedded applications, catering to automotive, industrial IoT, mobile, and communication infrastructure markets. The company is committed to innovation and sustainability, advancing a smarter, safer, and more sustainable world through technology.