Senior Emulation Performance Methodology & Debug Engineer

Job Title

Senior Emulation Performance Methodology & Debug Engineer

Role Summary

Member of Qualcomm's Emulation Team within the central SoC digital hardware organization. Responsible for developing, deploying, and supporting emulation and FPGA prototyping methodologies and debug flows for pre-silicon SoC platforms.

Works with architects, designers, verification and software engineers, vendors, and cross-site teams to enable pre-silicon bring-up, performance analysis, and resolution of hardware/software debug issues.

Experience Level

Senior - role targets experienced engineers. Preferred experience includes multiple years in emulation and silicon environments; posting lists examples such as 5+ years preferred.

Responsibilities

Key day-to-day responsibilities include:

• Design and implement uniform methodologies for emulation build generation and debug across FPGA-based emulation platforms.
• Plan and execute pre-silicon prototyping, FPGA bring-up, and emulation platform deployment for new SoC designs.
• Diagnose and debug low-level hardware and software issues on emulation and silicon platforms.
• Develop and maintain debug flows and tools (waveform, content debug, JTAG, kernel debuggers).
• Collaborate with cross-site teams, vendors, and stakeholders to resolve platform and tool issues.
• Validate and debug digital circuits, assist in timing closure and synthesis/place-and-route troubleshooting for emulation builds.
• Provide technical guidance on SoC functionality, performance, and bring-up activities.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience:

• Hands-on experience with FPGA prototyping and emulation platforms and tooling (FPGA flow, synthesis, place-and-route, timing closure).
• Proficiency in Verilog / SystemVerilog and C.
• Strong scripting ability (Python, TCL) for automation and flows.
• FPGA expertise with Xilinx and/or Intel toolchains, timing-closure techniques, and board bring-up.
• Experience with debug tools and methodologies (waveform/content debug, JTAG, kernel debuggers).
• Understanding of CPU/SoC architectures and common SoC blocks (interconnects, peripherals, DDR, modem blocks).
• Ability to diagnose hardware/software integration issues and support cross-team troubleshooting.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with commercial emulation systems (e.g., Veloce, Palladium) and vendor engagement.
• Prior work on global methodology development, cross-site deployment, and executive-level communication.
• Background in power and performance analysis for SoCs.

Education Requirements

Degree in Science, Engineering, or related field. Posted minimums vary in the source (examples include: Bachelor's +4 years / Master's +3 years / PhD +2 years; an alternate listing shows Bachelor's +2 years or Master's +1 year). Equivalent practical experience may be considered.

About the Company

Company: Qualcomm

Headquarters: San Diego, California, United States

Qualcomm is a global leader in semiconductor and telecommunications equipment, specializing in mobile technologies and innovations. Known for its Adreno GPUs, the company provides solutions enabling advancements in mobile gaming, AI, VR/AR, and autonomous driving. Qualcomm's cutting-edge technology and commitment to high-performance, power-efficient designs drive the evolution of mobile graphics and connectivity worldwide.