Senior Staff Engineer in Microcontroller Sub-System Verification- Cork, Ireland

Qualcomm Innovation Center, Inc.; Cork; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary and stock bonuses

Maternity/Paternity Leave

Employee stock purchase scheme

Matching pension

Job summary

Qualcomm is seeking a Senior Staff Engineer to lead Microcontroller Sub-System Verification in Cork, Ireland.

You will drive verification strategy, architect testbenches, and mentor engineers across IP and subsystem scopes to enable high-quality silicon delivery.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of ASIC design verification experience with hands-on UVM environments.
• Ownership of complex IP, subsystem, or SoC verification efforts.
• Strong knowledge of ARM/RISC-V ISA verification.

Responsibilities

• Lead verification strategy for microcontroller sub-systems and SOC components.
• Define scalable verification methodologies focusing on reuse and efficiency.
• Architect robust testbenches and reusable verification components.
• Own coverage strategy, diagnose gaps, drive signoff readiness.
• Collaborate with design, SoC, software, and validation teams.

Skills

UVM-based verification

SystemVerilog

C/C++ familiarity

Debugging skills

RTL simulation

Scripting (Python/Perl/Shell)

Education

Bachelor’s in Science/Engineering

Master’s in Science/Engineering

PhD in Science/Engineering

Tools

UVM toolset

Formal verification tools

VC Formal

C models / checkers / scoreboards

Job description

General Summary:

About the Role

The Microcontroller Sub-System IP team plays a crucial role in enabling embedded processing solutions across various functions and products at Qualcomm. This team deals with security, power management, and other system-on-chip (SoC) functions across multiple business units (IoT, Mobile, Auto, XR, Compute, etc.). If you’re passionate about solving complex problems and want to be part of a diverse, multicultural team, read on!

Responsibilities

As a Senior Staff Engineer in Microcontroller Sub-System Verification, you’ll provide technical leadership for complex verification programs, shape methodology and execution strategy across IP and subsystem scopes, and drive verification quality from definition through signoff. Your responsibilities will include:

• Technical Leadership: Lead the verification strategy for complex microcontroller sub-systems, influencing architecture, methodology, and execution to enable high-quality silicon delivery.


• Verification Methodology Ownership: Define and evolve scalable verification methodologies using UVM, formal, assertions, and coverage-driven techniques, with a focus on reuse and long-term efficiency.


• Environment Architecture: Architect robust testbenches and reusable verification components, including UVCs, C models, checkers, scoreboards, and vertical/horizontal environments across block and subsystem levels.


• Coverage and Signoff: Own coverage strategy and closure, drive root-cause analysis of gaps, and partner with design and architecture teams to ensure verification completeness and signoff readiness.


• Cross-Functional Influence: Collaborate closely with design, architecture, SoC, software, validation, and program teams to solve complex technical issues, align milestones, and reduce integration risk.


• System-Level Enablement and Mentorship: Drive subsystem integration support, test planning, vector delivery, and debug, while mentoring engineers and raising the team’s overall technical capability and execution excellence.

Ideally, we’re seeking candidates with the following:

• Leadership Mindset: A collaborative, inclusive approach with the ability to influence technical direction, mentor others, and lead through ambiguity.


• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Science, Engineering, or a related field.


• Experience: 10+ years of ASIC design verification experience, including significant hands-on expertise with UVM-based environments and ownership of complex IP, subsystem, or SoC verification efforts.


• Processor Verification Expertise: Deep familiarity with ARM or RISC-V ISA verification and strong understanding of processor, microcontroller, and subsystem verification challenges.


• Formal and Advanced Verification: Strong experience with formal verification tools such as or VC Formal, plus assertion-based and constrained-random verification methodologies.


• Jasper Subsystem and SoC Knowledge: Demonstrated success verifying processor/microcontroller sub-systems and enabling integration into larger SoC environments.


• AMBA Bus Protocols: Familiarity with AMBA bus protocols is desirable.


• Gate-Level Simulation and Power Extraction: Experience with gate-level simulation debug and power extraction tools is beneficial.


• Power-Aware Verification: Knowledge of power-aware verification methodologies.


• Coverage-Driven Verification: Expert proficiency in constrained-random verification, coverage modeling, and closure strategies across complex verification scopes.


• System Verilog Assertions: Familiarity with System Verilog assertions.


• Debug and Problem Solving: Exceptional debug skills with the ability to triage complex failures, communicate risk clearly, and drive teams to resolution against aggressive schedules.


• RTL Simulation Tools: Extensive usage of RTL simulation tools.


• Technical Breadth: Strong hands-on expertise in UVM, SystemVerilog, scripting (Perl/Python/shell), and verification infrastructure development, with a focus on scalability and reuse.


• C/C++ Familiarity

Where you will be working

Cork has a proud reputation as Ireland's second largest economic engine and is now one of the Top 20 location choices in Europe with 39,000 people being employed by over 170 overseas companies. There's a growing diversity in the region with people from many nationalities relocating to Cork, relishing the opportunity to work and live in a location that offers an excellent quality of life. A gateway to Europe, Cork airport provides access to almost 50 international destinations including transatlantic air routes.

Equal Opportunities

We are an Equal Opportunity employer; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any protected classification.

What's on Offer

• Salary, stock and performance related bonus


• Maternity/Paternity Leave


• Employee stock purchase scheme


• Matching pension scheme


• Education Assistance


• Relocation and immigration support (if needed)


• Life, Medical, Income and Travel Insurance


• Subsidised memberships for physical and mental well‑being


• Bicycle purchase scheme


• Employee run clubs, including, running, football, chess, badminton + many more

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Science, Engineering, or related field and 6+ years of ASIC design, verification, validation, integration, or related work experience.


• OR


• Master's degree in Science, Engineering, or related field and 5+ years of ASIC design, verification, validation, integration, or related work experience.


• OR


• PhD in Science, Engineering, or related field and 4+ years of ASIC design, verification, validation, integration, or related work experience.

*References to a particular number of years experience are for indicative purposes only. Applications from candidates with equivalent experience will be considered, provided that the candidate can demonstrate an ability to fulfill the principal duties of the role and possesses the required competencies.

Qualcomm expects its employees to abide by all applicable policies and procedures, including but not limited to security and other requirements regarding protection of Company confidential information and other confidential and/or proprietary information, to the extent those requirements are permissible under applicable law.

Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer. If you are an individual with a disability and need an accommodation during the application/hiring process, rest assured that Qualcomm is committed to providing an accessible process. You may e-mail [e-mail] or call Qualcomm's toll-free number found here. Upon request, Qualcomm will provide reasonable accommodations to support individuals with disabilities to be able participate in the hiring process. Qualcomm is also committed to making our workplace accessible for individuals with disabilities. (Keep in mind that this email address is used to provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. We will not respond here to requests for updates on applications or resume inquiries).

If you would like more information about this role, please contact Qualcomm Careers.