Emulation Engineer

MatX; Mountain View (CA); Hybrid; USD 250,000 - 600,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

4 weeks PTO (accrued)

Up to 3 weeks remote work

Health insurance

401K with company contribution

Life insurance

Job summary

MatX is seeking a Senior/Staff Emulation Engineer in Mountain View to build and optimize emulation/integration flows for connectivity SoCs. You will work across RTL, software, tooling, and vendor flows, delivering reusable transactors and acceleration to support GenAI-ready silicon.

The role requires hands-on SoC emulation, experience with Palladium or similar platforms, and strong software automation skills (Python plus C/C++, Rust, or TCL).

Qualifications

• Emulation or system-level validation experience.
• Experience with at least one commercial emulation platform (e.g., Palladium).
• Strong RTL/verification skills; ability to build tools and flows.
• Strong software/automation skills (Python and at least one of C/C++/Rust/Tcl).
• Ability to work across RTL, firmware, software and DV teams.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute emulation strategy and test plans for complex connectivity SoCs.
• Bring up and debug large-scale models on emulation platforms.
• Integrate external components and build custom transactors/agents.
• Develop HW/SW co-emulation and co-simulation flows using RTL and software models.
• Build reusable transactors, agents, stubs, and acceleration flows.
• Drive speed-ups and optimize resource usage in emulation flows.
• Create regression automation for debugging and triage.
• Develop AI-assisted tooling for log analysis and flow generation.
• Collaborate with architecture, RTL, DV, firmware, driver, and validation teams.

Skills

SoC emulation expertise

Verilog/SystemVerilog

Python/C/C++/Rust

automation

system-level debugging

Tools

Cadence Palladium

Zebu

Veloce

Job description

What MatX Is Building

MatX is on a mission to be the compute platform for AGI. We are developing vertically integrated full-stack solutions from silicon to systems including hardware and software to train and run the largest ML workloads for AGI. MatX is seeking Emulation engineers to join our team as we create best-in-class silicon for high-performance and sustainable GenAI. Successful candidates for these roles will be responsible for delivering performant and functionally accurate silicon for MatX products across compute, memory management. High-speed connectivity and other key technologies.

What MatX Is Building

We are on a mission to be the compute platform for AGI. We are developing vertically integrated full-stack solutions from silicon to systems including hardware and software to train and run the largest ML workloads for AGI. MatX is seeking Emulation engineers to join our team as we create best-in-class silicon for high-performance and sustainable GenAI. Successful candidates for these roles will be responsible for delivering performant and functionally accurate silicon for MatX products across compute, memory management. High-speed connectivity and other key technologies.

We're hiring a Senior/Staff Emulation Engineer to build the infrastructure, flows, and debug methodology behind our advanced connectivity SoCs. The role sits in the Emulation team, but the impact is broader: you'll create reusable flows that span emulation, SoC simulation, firmware/software bring-up, and post-silicon validation.

We're looking for a multi-disciplinary engineer with an out-of-the-box, can-do mindset — someone who sees a gap and builds the bridge, comfortable moving between RTL, software, tooling, system debug, and vendor flows. You don't need to be an expert in every area listed below. You do need a reuse-first mindset, strong software instincts, and the ability to learn quickly across boundaries.

What You'll Do Here

• Define and execute emulation strategy and test plans for complex connectivity SoCs.


• Bring up and debug large-scale models on commercial emulation platforms such as Cadence Palladium, Zebu or Veloce.


• Integrate external components such as SpeedBridge and VirtualBridge adapters, Accelerated VIP, and memory models — for PCIe, HBM4, Ethernet, AXI/AMBA, JTAG, and (Q)SPI. And build custom transactors where needed.


• Develop HW/SW co-emulation and co-simulation flows using RTL, software/reference models (Rust, C/C++, SystemC), firmware, and software tests.


• Build reusable transactors, agents, stubs, bridges, checkers, and acceleration flows — including developing new transactors and agents from scratch when off-the-shelf options don't fit.


• Drive emulation speed-ups and resource utilization — compile-time reduction, partitioning, clocking strategy, regression scheduling, multi-user capacity, and waveform/trace management.


• Build automation for regression triage, debug, model usability, and engineering productivity.


• Go beyond prompting with AI — build practical LLM-based tooling for log analysis, waveform triage, debug assistance, and flow generation, including custom skills, agents, rules, and workflows that fit our engineering stack.


• Collaborate with architecture, RTL, DV, SoC, firmware, driver, kernel, validation, and EDA/vendor teams.

Who You Are

• Strong hands-on experience with SoC emulation or system-level validation.


• Experience with at least one commercial emulation platform, such as Palladium.


• Working Verilog/SystemVerilog and waveform-debug skills — enough to develop a custom transactor or agent when needed (with or without AI assistance). Deep RTL design expertise is not required.


• Strong software and automation skills — Python plus one or more of C, C++, Rust, Tcl, or shell.


• Demonstrated ability to build tools and infrastructure, not just run existing flows.


• Strong system-level debug instincts spanning RTL, firmware, and software.


• Ability to work independently and across functional and team boundaries.

Bonus Points If You Have

• UVM or hybrid SoC testbench development.


• Integrating cycle-accurate, software, or reference models into emulation/DV flows.


• Rust in verification or emulation flows (or strong interest in adopting it).


• Bazel or large-scale build/regression systems.


• Reusable stimulus across simulation, emulation, and post-silicon.


• AI/LLMs used to build real engineering tools — debug, triage, flow generation — beyond chat prompting.


• Connectivity SoCs, PCIe/CXL, Ethernet, DMA, HBM/memory subsystems, chiplets, or interconnect fabrics.


• Firmware or driver bring-up on emulation platforms.


• Scaling emulation or verification infrastructure across multiple projects or product lines.

Compensation

The US base salary for this full-time position is determined based on a variety of factors including role, experience, location, job related skills, and relevant education and training. Career length is only a guideline for compensation.

• Early Career - $160,000 - $275,000 + equity


• Mid Career - $175,000 - $400,000 + equity


• Senior Career - $250,000 - $600,000 + equity

What We Offer

• Time off: 4 weeks PTO (accrued) + 12 company Holidays + up to 3 weeks remote work


• Health: Company-subsidized Medical (Kaiser or Anthem) for employees & dependents, Guardian Dental and Vision insurances for employee & dependents, and life insurance (employee only), plus HSA and FSA offerings via Lively. See attached benefits 1-pager and full benefits guide for more info on benefits.


• Financial Wellbeing: Choose from Roth IRA/ 401K (or both) retirement plans with up to 5% company contribution to 401K (even if you don't contribute). Also, 100% company-paid life insurance (up to $300K) and long-term disability insurances.


• Professional Development: $1500 Professional Development Budget (per year)


• Team Meals: MatX provides onsite team lunch & dinner Monday - Friday, with your choice of ordering via WeBox, Specialty’s or via our reimbursement system


• Commute on Us: Commute on our company Uber account, or reimburse your train rides. Either way, we pay 100% for your daily commute.


• MatX E[x]tras: $50/mo to use on the perk you value most


• Cell & Internet Reimbursement: $35/mo for cellular and $40/mo for wifi


• Mental Wellbeing: 100% paid mental health benefit via SpringHealth and Guardian EAP.


• Support to Parents: Up to 12 weeks paid parental leave regardless of path to parenthood, 10 weeks pregnancy disability leave, flexible return-to-work hours, and Benepass reproductive health & parental benefit.


• AI Resources: Up to $20K/month plus a dedicated internal AI Tooling Team to support your productivity

As part of our dedication to the diversity of our team and our focus on creating an inviting and inclusive work experience, MatX is committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and will not discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital/domestic partner status, military and veteran status, genetic information or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances.

All candidates must be authorized to work in the United States and work from our offices in Mountain View Tuesdays-Thursdays.

This position requires access to information that is subject to U.S. export controls. This offer of employment is contingent upon the applicants capacity to perform job functions in compliance with U.S. export control laws without obtaining a license from U.S. export control authorities.

MatX does not accept unsolicited resumes from individual recruiters or third-party recruiting agencies in response to job postings. No fee will be paid to third parties who submit unsolicited candidates directly to our hiring managers or People team and any resumes submitted are deemed to be the property of MatX.