Principal Soft IP Engineer

Oppstar Berhad; Penang; On-site; MYR 180,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Oppstar Berhad in Penang seeks a Principal Engineer for Soft IP to lead design, verification, and delivery of synthesizable RTL building blocks for client SoC projects.

You will mentor teams, drive EDA tool adoption, and collaborate with verification and physical design to ensure first-time-right silicon and robust IP across foundry nodes.

This role requires deep HDL expertise and strong communication with customers.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related fields.
• 10+ years of experience in ASIC/SoC design with a focus on IP development (Soft IP/Digital Design).
• Expertise in Verilog / SystemVerilog and hardware description languages.
• Strong knowledge of standard bus protocols (AMBA AXI/AHB/APB, PCIe, DDR/LPDDR, CXL).

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end design of complex Soft IP cores using Verilog/SystemVerilog.
• Mentor junior and senior design engineers; provide direction on RTL coding standards and PPA optimization.
• Collaborate with verification teams to ensure 100% functional coverage and first-time-right silicon.
• Provide constraints (SDC) and guidance for synthesis, timing closure, and layout integration.
• Act as primary technical contact for clients integrating our IP.
• Drive adoption of advanced EDA tools and automated design flows.

Skills

Verilog / SystemVerilog

IP development

CDC

PPA optimization

AMBA AXI/AHB/APB

Digital design fundamentals

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s in Electrical/Electronic Engineering or Computer Engineering

Tools

Synopsys

Cadence

Mentor Graphics

Job description

Role Overview

As a Principal Engineer for Soft IP, you will play a critical leadership role in the development of high-performance, reusable semiconductor Intellectual Property (IP) cores. You will bridge the gap between architectural theory and final silicon implementation. Your primary responsibility is to lead the design, verification, and delivery of synthesizable RTL (Register Transfer Level) that serves as the building block for our clients' complex SoC (System-on-Chip) designs.

Key Responsibilities

• IP Architecture & Design: Lead the end-to-end design of complex digital Soft IP cores using Verilog/SystemVerilog. Ensure designs are modular, configurable, and optimized for multiple foundry nodes and process technologies.
• Technical Leadership: Mentor junior and senior design engineers. Provide technical direction on RTL coding standards, power/performance/area (PPA) optimization, and design-for-reuse strategies.
• Verification Strategy: Collaborate with verification teams to ensure 100% functional coverage. Define and oversee the development of testbenches (UVM/SystemVerilog) and formal verification methodologies to ensure "first-time-right" silicon.
• Cross-Functional Integration: Work closely with physical design teams to provide necessary constraints (SDC) and guidance for synthesis, timing closure, and layout integration.
• Customer Support: Act as the primary technical point of contact for clients integrating our IP, providing support for integration, debugging, and post-silicon validation.
• Methodology Innovation: Drive the adoption of advanced EDA tools and automated design flows to improve design cycle efficiency and product quality.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related fields.
• Experience: 10+ years of experience in ASIC/SoC design, with a strong focus on IP development (Soft IP/Digital Design).
• Technical Expertise:

-Expertise in Verilog / SystemVerilog and hardware description languages.

-In-depth knowledge of standard bus protocols (e.g., AMBA AXI/AHB/APB, PCIe, DDR/LPDDR, CXL).

-Strong understanding of digital design fundamentals, clock domain crossing (CDC), and power-aware design (UPF/CPF).

• Tools: Proficient with industry-standard EDA tools (Synopsys, Cadence, or Mentor Graphics) for simulation, synthesis, and static timing analysis.
• Soft Skills: Proven ability to lead technical teams, manage client expectations, and communicate complex technical concepts clearly