Senior / Staff Hardware Development Engineer

Job Title

Senior / Staff Hardware Development Engineer

Role Summary

Design, develop, debug and qualify test hardware (loadboards, probe cards, test sockets, probe heads, contact pins) for FPGA product wafer and package testing. Lead test-hardware efforts to meet high-speed, loop-back and high-current test requirements and deliver cost-effective, maintainable solutions for production.

Work with cross-functional teams (design, software, manufacturing, product engineering) to define requirements, standardize tester configurations, and develop diagnostic tools for test-hardware troubleshooting.

Experience Level

Senior — typically 5–8 years of industry experience in IC design, IC test, or IC test-hardware development (as indicated in the source posting).

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities focus on test-hardware development, validation, and production enablement.

• Specify, develop, debug, validate and qualify test hardware for wafer sort and final/package testing of FPGA products.
• Enable test capabilities for high-speed, loop-back and high-current testing requirements.
• Design cost-effective, robust, and maintainable test-hardware solutions scalable for production volumes.
• Gather technical requirements from stakeholders and translate concepts into implemented hardware.
• Identify and lead value-engineering and continuous-improvement activities to improve test stability and robustness.
• Participate in tester configuration definition, proliferation and standardization across product lines.
• Provide technical leadership and tactical support during first-article and engineering evaluations to resolve test-hardware issues.
• Lead development of diagnostic tools and software to assist in hardware debug and troubleshooting.
• Participate in benchmarking initiatives to optimize hardware development processes and methodologies.

Requirements

Core technical and interpersonal qualifications required or preferred for the role.

• Must-have: Strong skills in test-hardware debugging, troubleshooting and methodical problem solving.
• Must-have: Practical experience in test-hardware development for IC testing at wafer or package level.
• Must-have: Experience reviewing schematics, PCB layouts and manufacturing files (e.g. Gerbers).
• Must-have: Good knowledge of IC packaging, package outline dimensions (POD) and pin mapping.
• Must-have: Solid understanding of digital, analog and mixed-signal circuits and their operation.
• Must-have: Strong analytical skills, project management capability, and effective communication and interpersonal skills.
• Nice-to-have: Programming experience (C, C++, VB, Perl) to develop diagnostic tools and automation.
• Nice-to-have: Familiarity with ATE, tester instruments and main component functionality.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering (BS/MS EE) or equivalent technical degree; equivalent practical experience acceptable. The posting also specifies 5–8 years of industry experience in IC design, IC test, or IC test-hardware development as the expected experience range.

About the Company

Company: Altera

Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Altera provides leadership programmable solutions for applications ranging from cloud to edge, unveiling limitless AI possibilities. Their extensive product portfolio includes FPGAs, CPLDs, Intellectual Property, development tools, and System on Modules aimed at accelerating innovation in various fields.