Staff Software Development Engineer in Test

Job Title

Staff Software Development Engineer in Test

Role Summary

The Staff SDET will define the long-term architecture and technical standards for automated validation of RISC-V embedded software and hardware across pre-silicon environments (QEMU, FPGA, RTL simulators) and collaborate closely with software, hardware, and DevOps teams.

This senior technical role focuses on building and scaling Python-based test frameworks, CI/CD pipelines, and system-level validation practices to ensure product quality across multiple silicon products. Location: Hsinchu, Taiwan.

Experience Level

Senior — requires roughly 6+ years in software engineering or test automation, with at least 3 years leading or architecting high-scale test infrastructure in embedded systems.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include technical leadership of test infrastructure, cross-team coordination, and driving system-level validation and CI/CD stability.

• Define strategic roadmap and technical standards for CI/CD pipelines and scale them across multiple product lines.
• Architect and evolve the Python automated test framework to support large-scale, distributed pre- and post-silicon validation.
• Integrate validation efforts across software, hardware, and DevOps teams and act as principal technical coordinator for cross-functional issues.
• Oversee issue triage and management for system-level validation failures and quality risks.
• Mentor and provide technical guidance to SDETs to raise team technical excellence.
• Evaluate and adopt new verification technologies and methodologies to address future scaling and complexity needs.
• Translate business goals into measurable technical objectives for test and validation efforts.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience; concise list of preferred additional skills follows.

• Must-have:
  • 6+ years in software engineering or test automation, with ≥3 years architecting or leading high-scale test infrastructure for embedded systems.
  • Deep expertise with CI/CD tools (e.g., Jenkins, GitHub Actions) and build systems (Make, CMake, Yocto); track record solving large-scale CI/CD performance and stability issues.
  • Expert-level proficiency in Python and Bash; experience designing large-scale, distributed, resilient automation systems.
  • Strong Linux development skills, including advanced system-level debugging and performance analysis.
  • Working knowledge of embedded software stack (bootloader, kernel, drivers) and deep domain expertise in RISC-V architecture, CPU verification methodologies, or custom hardware verification.
  • Proven experience with software validation using hardware simulation environments (QEMU, FPGA, RTL simulators).
  • Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills with demonstrated ability to influence technical decisions across organizations.
• Nice-to-have:
  • Experience introducing new verification technologies or methodologies at scale.
  • Prior experience coordinating validation across multiple product lines or geographically distributed teams.

Education Requirements

Not specified.

About the Company

Company: SiFive

Headquarters: San Mateo, California, United States

SiFive is a pioneering company in the RISC-V ecosystem, focused on transforming the future of computing by delivering high-performance, data-intensive RISC-V solutions. Their compute platforms empower leading technology firms to innovate across various markets, including AI, machine learning, and automotive sectors. SiFive is recognized for its commitment to ongoing innovation and fostering collaboration among talented teams, impacting lives by enabling advanced chip design.