Senior SDK Hardware Simulator Engineer

Innatera; Dublin; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Innatera in Ireland develops neuromorphic processors for AI at the edge and is seeking a Senior SDK Hardware Simulation Engineer to build high-performance C++ simulators.

You will replicate SoC components, support early application development, and work with Digital Design, Firmware, and SDK teams to ensure models match hardware.

This role emphasizes maintainable software architecture, testability, and performance modeling.

Qualifications

• Strong C++ development skills with modern standards (C++17/20).
• Experience translating hardware specs into software models.
• Experience with transaction-level modeling and validation.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement accurate hardware simulators reflecting neuromorphic processors and other SoC components.
• Convert hardware specs into high-performance software models.
• Contribute to performance modeling, including power and latency estimation.
• Support early application development with configurable simulation tools.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure models reflect real hardware.
• Write unit tests and improve simulation infrastructure quality.
• Help expand SDK features for external developers.

Skills

C++ (C++17/20)

Python

Hardware simulation

Unit testing

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering

Tools

RTL simulations

Waveforms

Assembly language

Job description

About Us

Innatera is a rapidly growing Dutch semiconductor company that develops ultra-efficient neuromorphic processors for AI at the edge. These microprocessors mimic the brain’s mechanisms for processing fast data streams from sensors, enabling complex turn‑key sensor analytics functionalities, with 10,000x higher performance per watt than competing solutions. Innatera’s technology serves as a critical enabler for next‑generation use cases in the IoT, wearable, embedded, and automotive domains.

We’re looking for a Senior SDK Hardware Simulation Engineer to help drive the development of our simulation environment by enabling early application development and system validation before hardware is available. As a key member of our SDK team, you’ll be responsible for designing and building accurate, high-performance C++ hardware simulators that reflect our neuromorphic architecture.

We will trust you with:

• Design and implement simulation models in modern C++ (C++17/20) to replicate the functions of neuromorphic processors, CPUs, memory systems, and other components in the full SoC.
• Convert technical hardware specs into high-performance, verifiable software models.
• Contribute to performance modeling: simulate power consumption and latency to identify performance bottlenecks.
• Support early application development with accurate and configurable hardware simulation tools.
• Work closely with cross‑functional teams (Digital Design, Firmware, SDK) to ensure models reflect the real hardware faithfully.
• Take ownership of simulation infrastructure quality: write unit tests, review code, and continuously improve design and maintainability.
• Collaborate on expanding our SDK feature set, ensuring the usability of the simulation for external developers.
• Participate in team brainstorming and contribute to other SDK development tasks as needed.

What will you need to succeed:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• Strong C++ development skills (including C++17/20).
• Proven track record of designing modular, maintainable, and testable software architecture.
• Experience in transaction‑level modeling of hardware components.
• Solid understanding of digital hardware fundamentals (e.g., CPU, instruction sets, memory systems, DMA).
• Familiarity with hardware/software co‑design concepts.
• Working knowledge of Python (e.g., for scripting, automation, or SDK integration).
• Great communication skills.

Nice to have:

• Experience working with RTL simulations, waveforms, and understanding how hardware behaves at the signal level.
• Experience in low‑power resource‑constrained embedded programming.
• Exposure to bare‑metal firmware development, including assembly language.
• Familiarity with RISC‑V or ARM computer architectures.
• Knowledge of machine learning, edge AI, and SNN (Spiking Neural Networks).

Innatera is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We welcome applicants of all backgrounds and experiences and are committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and respectful workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, disability, age, or other protected characteristics. If you require accommodations during the recruitment process, please let us know – we’re happy to support you.