HLD Validation Technical Lead

Altera Corporation; George Town; Hybrid; MYR 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Altera Corporation in Penang, Malaysia, is seeking a senior Validation Engineer to lead the development and optimization of FPGA software tools, including compilers, flows, and models. You will work on architectures, toolchains, and hardware execution to deliver robust validation coverage.

This role requires extensive hands-on FPGA experience, technical leadership, and ability to coordinate complex validation across cross-functional teams, with a focus on automation, scripting, and reliable

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.
• 8+ years of experience in FPGA development, software-tool verification, or validation, including substantial hands-on work with FPGA design flows.
• 3+ years of technical leadership, project leadership, or equivalent experience guiding engineers and coordinating complex validation work.
• Strong understanding of FPGA architectures and tool flows from design entry through compilation, simulation, implementation, timing analysis, and hardware execution.
• Experience developing validation strategies, test plans, regression suites, defect reports, and release-quality assessments for complex software tools.
• Proficiency with scripting and automation, such as Python, Perl, Tcl, or shell, and experience with CI/CD or automated regression infrastructure.
• Demonstrated ability to debug cross-layer software and FPGA issues, analyze results, make risk-based recommendations, and communicate findings to technical and nontechnical stakeholders.
• Strong collaboration, mentoring, and written and verbal communication skills in a cross-functional environment.

Responsibilities

• Designs, develops, and optimizes software tools enabling FPGA use across flows, runtimes, and firmware.
• Builds validation strategies, test plans, regression suites, and release-quality assessments.
• Collaborates across engineering teams to debug cross-layer FPGA issues and communicate findings.
• Mentors teammates, leads validation efforts, and delivers timely risk-based recommendations.

Skills

FPGA development

hardware/software debugging

project leadership

Python scripting

CI/CD

communication skills

cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field

Tools

Quartus Prime

Simulation/Waveform tools

Linux

Job description

## **Job Description:*** Researches, designs, develops, and optimizes software tools that enable the use of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA).* Develops and optimizes compilers, flows, assemblers, models, tools, runtimes, and/or firmwares that are closely coupled to FPGA silicon, IP, and boards, while leveraging strong knowledge of FPGA hardware, logic design, board design, semiconductor devices, and chip layout.* Designs, develops, and optimizes software abstractions and frameworks for acceleration with the FPGA for domains such as deep learning, DSP algorithms, or data analytics. Responds to customer/client requests or events as they occur.### ## **Qualifications:**## Required qualifications* Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.* 8+ years of experience in FPGA development, software-tool verification, or validation, including substantial hands-on work with FPGA design flows.* 3+ years of technical leadership, project leadership, or equivalent experience guiding engineers and coordinating complex validation work.* Strong understanding of FPGA architectures and tool flows from design entry through compilation, simulation, implementation, timing analysis, and hardware execution.* Experience developing validation strategies, test plans, regression suites, defect reports, and release-quality assessments for complex software tools.* Proficiency with scripting and automation, such as Python, Perl, Tcl, or shell, and experience with CI/CD or automated regression infrastructure.* Demonstrated ability to debug cross-layer software and FPGA issues, analyze results, make risk-based recommendations, and communicate findings to technical and nontechnical stakeholders.* Strong collaboration, mentoring, and written and verbal communication skills in a cross-functional environment.## Preferred qualifications* Direct experience using or validating at least one HLD tool category: high-level synthesis, DSP-oriented design, AI-oriented FPGA tools, compiler flows, or design-generation tools. Experience with FPGA AI Suite, HLS Compiler, or DSP Builder is especially valuable.* Hands-on experience with Altera/Intel Quartus Prime or comparable FPGA development tools from other vendors.* Familiarity with Verilog or VHDL; simulation, waveform, synthesis, place-and-route, and timing-analysis tools.* Experience with FPGA development kits, board-level testing, SoC integration, PCIe or embedded flows, or hardware/software bring-up.* Experience with Linux and Windows test environments, containers, virtual machines, and shared lab infrastructure.* Experience with performance characterization, AI model benchmarking, test-result analysis, and automated reporting.* Experience with UI automation using Playwright, Selenium, or comparable tools where applicable to the supported product flows.## Success measures* Validation coverage and release criteria remain aligned with HLD product requirements, customer workflows, and release commitments.* Critical defects and coverage gaps are identified early, communicated with clear impact, and resolved or given an explicit release disposition.* Regressions, environments, and reports are reliable, maintainable, and usable by other engineers without dependence on a single individual.* Automation improves repeatability, useful coverage, triage speed, and reporting consistency while reducing avoidable manual effort.* Stakeholders receive timely, evidence-based assessments of validation status and release risk.* Validation engineers receive effective technical guidance and grow in ownership of their work.### ## **Job Type:**Regular### ## **Shift:**Shift 1 (Malaysia)### ## **Primary Location:**Penang 15, Penang, Malaysia### ## **Additional Locations:**Austin, Texas, United States