Hardware Engineer

Femtosense; San Bruno (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k)

Medical insurance

Vision insurance

Disability insurance

Paid maternity leave

Paid paternity leave

Child care support

Job summary

A leading AI accelerator company in San Bruno, California is seeking a Hardware Engineer to join their hardware team. In this role, you will design and implement RTL for a neural network accelerator, ensuring functional correctness through collaboration with hardware architects. The ideal candidate will have expertise in HDL languages, a strong foundation in digital design, and a degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field. This position offers a dynamic work environment and benefits including 401(k) and medical insurance.

Qualifications

• Proficiency in HDL languages is critical.
• Strong background in digital design and computer architecture.
• Must have skills in scripting with Python.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement RTL for components of a neural network accelerator.
• Collaborate with hardware architects to ensure functional correctness.
• Write tests and validations for designs.

Skills

Proficiency in HDL languages like SystemVerilog and/or VHDL

Strong foundation in digital design

Familiarity with ASIC or FPGA design flows

Proficiency in Python for scripting and automation

Strong technical communication skills

Education

BS, MS, or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field

Tools

UVM design verification frameworks

Job description

San Bruno, United States | Posted on 02/13/2026

• Work Experience Current Student / Recent Grad
• City San Bruno
• State/Province California
• Country United States

About Us

Headquartered in Silicon Valley, femtoAI—formerly known as Femtosense—was founded in 2018 by researchers from the Brains in Silicon Lab at Stanford University. Our technology takes inspiration from the principles of neuromorphic computing such as sparsity to empower intelligence in everyday devices.

We pioneered a high-performance AI accelerator integrated with an end-to-end embedded AI platform, enabling low-latency operation with less energy at a fraction of the cost. From wearables and household appliances to robotics and autonomous vehicles, femtoAI brings the power of AI to everyday devices.

Job Description

As a Hardware Engineer, you will join femtoAI’s hardware team to help design and build our novel neural network accelerator. Working in a small, highly collaborative group, you will contribute directly to RTL design, microarchitecture implementation, and functional correctness of core hardware blocks.

Depending on your interests and strengths, your work may emphasize RTL development, design verification, or both, with opportunities to grow into deeper specialization over time. You will also gain exposure to the broader hardware development lifecycle, including verification infrastructure and backend design considerations.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement RTL for components of a neural network accelerator
• Translate architectural specifications into efficient, maintainable hardware implementations
• Collaborate with hardware architects and verification engineers to ensure functional correctness and performance targets
• Write tests, assertions, or simple verification environments to validate your designs
• Contribute to improving internal hardware design and verification workflows using scripting and automation
• Participate in design reviews, debugging, and bring-up of new hardware blocks

Requirements

• The candidate must have:
• Proficiency in HDL languages like SystemVerilog and/or VHDL
• Strong foundation in digital design, computer architecture, and VLSI through coursework or projects
• Familiarity with ASIC or FPGA design flows
• Proficiency in Python for scripting and automation
• Strong technical communication skills and ability to collaborate across disciplines
• BS, MS, or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field
• The ideal candidate will also have:
• Experience or coursework involving RTL design and microarchitecture
• Proficiency with UVM design verification frameworks
• Knowledge of physical design and verification
• Experience or coursework related to on-chip interconnects
• Interest in or exposure to machine learning accelerators
• 401(k)
• Medical insurance
• Vision insurance
• Disability insurance
• Paid maternity leave
• Paid paternity leave
• Child care support

femtoAI is an equal opportunity employer committed to a diverse workforce which strives to create an inclusive working environment empowering everyone to do their best work. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.