FPGA Design & Firmware Engineer, Staff

QUALCOMM, Inc.; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 146,000 - 218,000; Full time

Job summary

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. in San Diego, CA is seeking a Senior FPGA Design / FPGA Firmware Engineer to design, implement, and debug FPGA RTL and firmware for emulation and prototyping platforms.

You will work with AMD/Xilinx and Intel toolchains, tackle HW/SW partitioning, and drive complex system integration across hardware and software teams. The role emphasizes hands-on RTL/HDL development, embedded software integration, and applying AI/ML techniques to improve design flows and automation

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in EE/CE/CS.
• 5+ years FPGA design/firmware experience.
• Strong SystemVerilog/Verilog RTL HDL experience.
• Experience with AMD/Xilinx or Intel FPGA platforms and toolchains.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, debug FPGA RTL and firmware for emulation and prototyping platforms.
• Develop FPGA solutions using AMD/Xilinx and Intel toolchains.
• Contribute to system architecture, HW/SW partitioning, FPGA architecture and system integration.
• Work on clock/reset architecture, clock-domain crossings, high-speed interfaces, and timing closure.
• Design and integrate high-speed FPGA interfaces (PCIe, MGT/SerDes, LVDS).
• Develop and integrate embedded software/firmware for FPGA-based systems.

Skills

SystemVerilog/Verilog

RTL/HDL design

C++

Python

Analytical and debugging

Interpersonal communication

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering or Computer Science

Master's degree in related field

PhD in related field

Tools

Vivado

Quartus

Job description

Company:

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Job Area:

Engineering Group, Engineering Group > ASICS Engineering

General Summary:

As a leading technology innovator, Qualcomm pushes the boundaries of what is possible to enable next-generation experiences and drive transformations in communication and data processing, helping create a smarter, more connected future for all.

Join the Qualcomm Global CAD team developing advanced FPGA-based emulation and prototyping solutions supporting next-generation IoT, mobile, compute, and data center platforms. We are seeking an experienced Senior FPGA Design / FPGA Firmware Engineer with strong hands‑on experience in RTL design, FPGA implementation, system integration, and embedded software.

This is a hands‑on individual contributor role with significant influence on FPGA system architecture, HW/SW partitioning, firmware design, and long‑term technology direction.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, integrate, and debug FPGA RTL and firmware for custom emulation and prototyping platforms.


• Develop FPGA solutions using industry-standard AMD/Xilinx and Intel FPGA technologies and toolchains.


• Contribute to system architecture, HW/SW partitioning, FPGA architecture, implementation strategy, and system integration.


• Work on large and complex FPGA designs involving clock/reset architecture, clock‑domain crossings, high‑speed interfaces, and timing closure.


• Design and integrate high‑speed FPGA interfaces, including PCIe, MGT/SerDes and LVDS‑based connectivity.


• Develop and integrate embedded software and firmware supporting FPGA‑based systems.


• Contribute to the continuous development and improvement of FPGA tools, technologies, methodologies, automation, and design flows.


• Explore and apply AI/ML techniques to FPGA design, verification, debug, and development flows, improving engineering productivity, design quality, and automation.


• Collaborate across hardware, software, CAD, and system engineering teams to debug and resolve complex system‑level problems.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field.


• 5+ years of professional experience in FPGA design, FPGA firmware, RTL development, or related digital hardware development.


• Strong hands‑on experience with SystemVerilog/Verilog and RTL/HDL design.


• Experience with modern FPGA platforms such as AMD/Xilinx UltraScale+, MPSoC, Versal, Intel Stratix, or Agilex.


• Experience with FPGA development tools such as AMD Vivado or Intel Quartus.


• Strong analytical, debugging, and problem‑solving skills.


• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to work independently and collaborate effectively across hardware and software teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, or a related technical field.


• Experience with clock‑domain crossing (CDC), high‑speed designs, clock/reset architecture, FPGA implementation, and timing closure techniques.


• Hands‑on experience with FPGA MGT/SerDes transceivers and LVDS interfaces, including integration, bring‑up, and debug.


• Strong understanding of digital logic, computer architecture, and VLSI design concepts.


• Hands‑on programming experience with C++ and Python.


• Experience implementing and debugging interfaces and protocols such as AXI, PCIe, Ethernet, I2C, MGT, and LVDS.


• Experience designing, integrating, bringing up, and debugging large‑scale, rack‑based multi‑FPGA systems, including system‑level architecture and inter‑FPGA connectivity.


• Experience or strong interest in applying AI/ML technologies to hardware design, verification, EDA/CAD flows, and engineering automation.


• Experience with Linux and Embedded Linux.


• Experience with modern hardware‑description languages or RTL‑generation frameworks, such as SpinalHDL, Amaranth, RustHDL, Spade, or similar technologies.


• Understanding of ARM‑based systems, Linux device drivers, and embedded system architecture.


• Understanding of software architecture, design principles, development practices, and design patterns.


• Experience with Git, Jira, CI/automation, and collaborative software/firmware development workflows.


• Knowledge of Agile development principles and practices.

Minimum Qualifications

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


• OR


• Master's degree in Science, Engineering, or related field and 3+ years of ASIC design, verification, validation, integration, or related work experience.


• OR


• PhD in Science, Engineering, or related field and 2+ years of ASIC design, verification, validation, integration, or related work experience.

Keywords

FPGA, FPGA Firmware, RTL, SystemVerilog, Verilog, AI, ML, SpinalHDL, Rust, AMD, Xilinx, Intel, Altera, Vivado, Quartus, UltraScale+, MPSoC, Versal, Stratix, Agilex, Multi-FPGA, Rack-Scale Systems, MGT, SerDes, LVDS, PCIe, AXI, Ethernet, CDC, Timing Closure, Clocking, Reset, Embedded Systems, Embedded Linux, ARM, C++, Python, Digital Design, CAD, EDA, Emulation, Prototyping, IoT, Mobile, Compute, Data Center

Equal Opportunity and Accessibility Information

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).

Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or any other protected classification.

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.

Pay range and Other Compensation & Benefits

$145,600.00 - $218,400.00

The above pay scale reflects the broad, minimum to maximum, pay scale for this job code for the location for which it has been posted. Even more importantly, please note that salary is only one component of total compensation at Qualcomm. We also offer a competitive annual discretionary bonus program and opportunity for annual RSU grants (employees on sales‑incentive plans are not eligible for our annual bonus). In addition, our highly competitive benefits package is designed to support your success at work, at home, and at play.

Your recruiter will be happy to discuss all that Qualcomm has to offer – and you can review more details about our US benefits at this link.