Senior FPGA Firmware Engineer
QualcommJob Title
Senior FPGA Firmware Engineer
Role Summary
Develop FPGA firmware and embedded software for emulation hardware and CAD tool flows within the Global CAD / ASICS Engineering organization. The role focuses on delivering firmware and toolchain components to support verification, emulation, and validation of wireless SoC designs.
Experience Level
Senior. The posting's minimum qualifications reference experience levels (see Education Requirements) - role is senior by title and expects candidates with prior ASIC/FPGA design or verification experience.
Responsibilities
Primary duties include implementation and integration of FPGA firmware and support for emulation and CAD infrastructure.
- Design and implement firmware for custom emulation hardware and FPGA platforms.
- Develop and integrate RTL/SystemVerilog logic into FPGA flows.
- Use vendor FPGA toolchains (Xilinx, Intel) to synthesize, place-and-route, and validate designs.
- Collaborate with SoC, CAD, and validation teams to enable emulation and verification flows.
- Contribute to development and maintenance of CAD tools, automated flows, and documentation.
Requirements
Must-have technical skills and experience.
- Hands-on FPGA design or firmware experience; practical experience with SystemVerilog and RTL/HDL.
- Experience with Xilinx Ultrascale/Ultrascale+/MPSoC or Intel Stratix families and vendor tools.
- Experience in ASIC design, verification, validation, or integration.
- Strong analytical and troubleshooting skills; able to work independently and deliver customer-facing applications.
Nice-to-have:
- Experience with clock-domain crossing, high-speed design, and timing closure techniques.
- Familiarity with VLSI/logic design concepts.
- Experience with C++ (x86, aarch64), Python, and Embedded/Linux development.
- Knowledge of ARM architectures and Linux device drivers.
- Experience implementing protocols such as AXI, PCIe, I2C, LVDS, and Ethernet.
- Familiarity with Git, JIRA, and Agile practices.
Education Requirements
Minimum: Bachelor's degree in Science, Engineering, or a related field with 2+ years of ASIC design/verification/validation/integration experience; OR Master's degree in Science/Engineering with 1+ year; OR PhD in a related field. Preferred fields include Electronics Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or Applied Mathematics.
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.
