Senior Deep Learning Hardware Engineer

Job Title

Senior Deep Learning Hardware Engineer

Role Summary

Join the Intel NPU IP team as a senior pre-silicon verification engineer focused on validation of NPU AI accelerator components. The role centers on functional, power and performance verification and ownership/sign-off of complex blocks.

You will work with design engineers, model engineers and AI architects to develop verification environments and validate next-generation NPU IP. Primary location is Leixlip with a hybrid work model.

Experience Level

Senior — 8+ years of relevant industry experience in pre-silicon validation of IPs, ASIC, SoC, or FPGA designs.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include planning, implementing and executing verification strategies for digital blocks in AI accelerators.

• Perform functional, power and performance verification of complex low-power digital design block(s) for NPU accelerators.
• Architect, develop and maintain verification environments from planning through validation lifecycle to sign-off.
• Create test plans, test cases, random test generators, transaction-level models and bus functional models (BFMs).
• Implement functional/formal constraints, checkers, scoreboards, coverpoints/covergroups and assertion properties.
• Drive coverage closure and sign-off for assigned blocks; diagnose and resolve issues with design teams.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to analyse AI requirements and influence product roadmap.
• Mentor and lead engineers on verification approaches and best practices.

Requirements

Key technical and professional requirements. Must-have items are listed first; preferred skills follow.

• Must-have: 8+ years of industry experience in pre-silicon validation of IP, ASIC, SoC or FPGA designs.
• Must-have: Proficiency with industry-standard verification languages and tools (SystemVerilog, VCS, UVM/OVM).
• Must-have: Proven experience developing testbenches, verification environments, test plans and achieving coverage closure.
• Must-have: Track record of owning blocks through validation to sign-off; strong problem-solving and communication skills; ability to work cross-functionally and lead.
• Preferred / Nice-to-have: Experience validating low-power and high-performance designs and hardware accelerators.
• Preferred / Nice-to-have: Experience with SystemVerilog Assertions (SVA) and formal verification techniques/tools.
• Preferred / Nice-to-have: Familiarity with Git and continuous integration (CI) practices.
• Preferred / Nice-to-have: Knowledge of SoC components (CPUs, NoCs), AMBA protocols and memory controllers.
• Preferred / Nice-to-have: Programming experience in C/C++, Python, shell scripting and TCL.
• Preferred / Nice-to-have: Understanding of deep learning concepts and experience with frameworks such as TensorFlow or PyTorch.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electronic Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science or a related technical field is specified as the minimum qualification.

About the Company

Company: Intel Corporation

Headquarters: Santa Clara, California, USA

Intel Corporation is a leading multinational technology company known for its innovative semiconductor solutions, including microprocessors, artificial intelligence accelerators, and memory products. Headquartered in the United States, Intel focuses on cutting-edge technology and a collaborative working environment, driving advancements in semiconductor manufacturing to meet global demands. The company emphasizes professional development and aims to shape the future of technology through groundbreaking designs.