Senior Firmware Verification Engineer (Formal Methods)
NXP SemiconductorsJob Title
Senior Firmware Verification Engineer (Formal Methods)
Role Summary
Hands-on engineering role to design, implement and apply formal and model-based verification methods for embedded firmware across multiple hardware platforms. Work directly with firmware and hardware teams to ensure firmware correctness, reliability and security.
Join the firmware verification team in Gratkorn to build automated verification pipelines, integrate formal methods into CI/CD, and operationalize verification tooling for production use.
Experience Level
Senior. Minimum of 5 years of hands-on professional experience in firmware verification, embedded systems testing, or formal verification in an industrial setting.
Responsibilities
Key responsibilities include developing formal verification artifacts, automation, and test infrastructure for embedded firmware:
- Design, implement and maintain model-based and formal verification frameworks (example: NuSMV).
- Develop formal models of firmware behavior and apply model checking, test generation, and coverage analysis.
- Create and run automated verification and test pipelines across different hardware architectures.
- Integrate model-based testing and formal verification flows into CI/CD for continuous verification.
- Perform functional, performance, stress, robustness, and security testing, including hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) scenarios.
- Analyze verification results, identify root causes of complex defects, and collaborate with firmware and hardware engineers to resolve issues.
- Continuously refine verification models and tooling based on product behavior and field feedback.
- Evaluate and introduce new verification tools and best practices and remain directly involved in implementation.
- Support security-related verification tasks and activities that may be in scope of security certifications.
Requirements
Must-have skills and experience:
- Minimum 5 years of hands-on experience in firmware verification, embedded systems testing, or formal verification.
- Proven practical experience applying formal verification or model-based testing to real embedded systems.
- Strong theoretical background in formal methods (temporal logic, equivalence relations, algorithmic complexity).
- Programming skills: C for embedded firmware; Python and/or Java for verification tooling and automation.
- Ability to translate formal concepts into executable verification artifacts and work independently on complex problems.
- High attention to detail and strong analytical/problem-solving skills with an engineering-driven mindset.
Nice-to-have:
- Experience with automated test generation, mutation testing, or coverage-driven verification.
- Familiarity with CI/CD systems such as Jenkins or GitLab CI for embedded projects.
- Experience with additional formal tools or frameworks (SPIN, CBMC, TLA+).
- Experience in safety- or security-critical systems requiring rigorous verification.
Education Requirements
Master's degree (or equivalent practical experience) in Computer Engineering, Computer Science or a related technical field. Equivalent practical experience is accepted where stated.
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.
