Senior FPGA Engineer

Job Title

Senior FPGA Engineer

Role Summary

Senior FPGA engineer in the Semiconductor Test Group responsible for implementing FPGA solutions across multiple test instrument families. The role covers the full product lifecycle from concept through release and manufacturing and requires collaboration with software and hardware engineers.

Experience Level

Senior — requires approximately 7 to 15 years of relevant FPGA/RTL experience.

Responsibilities

Design and deliver FPGA implementations to meet system and instrument requirements, perform integration and lab bring-up, and produce technical documentation.

• Define system-level FPGA architecture and translate instrument requirements into RTL implementations.
• RTL design, simulation and verification using Verilog/SystemVerilog and industry simulators.
• Implement high-speed interfaces and memory subsystems (PCIe, JESD, DMA, DDR4/5) and DSP blocks, waveform generation, and digitization features.
• Board-level debug and lab bring-up using standard lab equipment; work on calibration and precision analog signal control.
• Revision control, configuration management, and generation of technical documentation and reports.
• Collaborate with software and hardware teams and coordinate with external design resources.

Requirements

Core qualifications and skills expected for immediate contribution.

Must-have:

• Minimum 7 years of FPGA/RTL design experience.
• Proven expertise in RTL design and simulation; experience with Verilog/SystemVerilog.
• Experience with AMD (Xilinx) or Altera toolchains and FPGA devices.
• Proficiency with simulation tools such as ModelSim, VCS, or Xcelium.
• Ability to work independently and in teams, with strong attention to detail and reliable follow-through.
• English language proficiency for technical communication.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with Python and C/C++ for test and automation.
• Formal verification experience.
• Experience with AMD/Xilinx or Altera SoC devices and associated toolchains.
• Hands-on experience with board bring-up and lab debugging of FPGA systems.

Education Requirements

Degree level specified: BS, MS, or PhD (degree field not specified in the posting).

About the Company

Company: Cohu

Headquarters: Poway, CA, United States

Cohu designs and manufactures semiconductor test and handling solutions, including test instruments and handlers for digital, RF, and mixed-signal applications. The global company provides hardware, software and services for wafer- and final-test customers across the semiconductor industry.