Product Architectural Model Development Leader

Job Title

Product Architectural Model Development Leader

Role Summary

Lead a team that designs and maintains executable behavioral and architectural models representing next-generation FPGA silicon prior to and during RTL development. These models are used across architecture, verification, RTL design, software, and customer enablement as the canonical reference for intended device behavior.

The role sets technical direction for model methodology, quality, and infrastructure and coordinates model roadmaps with architecture milestones to support pre-silicon development, verification, and early customer enablement.

Experience Level

Senior-level. The role requires substantial industry experience (see Minimum Qualifications: 15+ years) with multiple years in technical leadership (5+ years) on silicon programs.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include leading model development, maintaining model accuracy, and coordinating across product teams.

• Lead a team developing cycle-approximate and functional models of FPGA architecture (fabric, DSP, memories, hard IP, transceivers, NoC).
• Define modeling methodology, coding standards, and architecture for models (C++, SystemC, Python) used in the pre-silicon flow.
• Own model development roadmap and align deliverables with architecture milestones from concept through RTL freeze.
• Drive model accuracy, performance, scalability, and maintainability trade-offs for multiple FPGA generations.
• Partner with silicon architects to convert specifications and microarchitecture decisions into executable models.
• Ensure models act as trusted product references and integrate with verification (golden references/scoreboards, UVM), performance modeling, and RTL teams.
• Enable early software, firmware, driver, and customer development using pre-silicon models.
• Establish simulation infrastructure, regression frameworks, CI pipelines, and model versioning/documentation practices.
• Promote automation and tooling (spec-to-model flows, model generators) to accelerate model delivery and reduce hand-off latency.
• Hire, mentor, and grow the modeling team and coordinate cross-functional priorities.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills, domain experience, and leadership demonstrated on multi-quarter silicon programs.

• 15+ years in silicon architecture, design, or verification with 5+ years in a technical leadership role.
• Hands-on experience developing behavioral, functional, or performance models using C++, SystemC, and/or SystemVerilog.
• Deep understanding of FPGA or ASIC architecture fundamentals: fabric architecture, memory subsystems, interconnect, and hard IP blocks.
• Experience translating architecture specifications into simulatable models for verification and performance analysis.
• Experience using pre-silicon models to enable software, firmware, drivers, or customer development ahead of RTL or silicon availability.
• Familiarity with RTL design and verification flows (SystemVerilog/UVM) sufficient to reason about model-RTL equivalence.
• Proven track record of leading technical teams delivering complex models/infrastructure on silicon program timelines.
• Strong communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Nice-to-have:

• Prior experience specifically with FPGA architecture (embedded memory, transceivers, NoC/interconnect).
• Experience with performance/pathfinding modeling for PPA trade-off studies.
• Experience building spec-to-model or model-to-RTL automation/codegen flows.
• Familiarity with formal methods or golden-model-based verification methodologies.
• Experience delivering customer-consumable pre-silicon models or integrating models into development tools.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field is required; Master's or PhD is preferred. (Education preferences as stated in the posting.)

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.