Hardware Engineer, FPGA

Normal Computing Corp.; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Normal Computing is an applied AI company building foundational hardware and software for the semiconductor industry. We seek an FPGA Design Engineer to own the bridge between RTL and physical silicon, bringing ASIC designs to life on FPGA platforms for pre-silicon validation and early software development.

You will manage FPGA platform selection, implement complex RTL on FPGA targets, and collaborate with silicon, EDA, and research teams to build the test infrastructure and software stack

Qualifications

• Proven industry experience taking FPGA designs from RTL through timing closure to validated hardware.
• Expert-level SystemVerilog and/or VHDL for synthesis, with deep proficiency in Xilinx Vivado.
• Hands-on experience implementing and debugging PCIe, plus AXI/AHB, SPI, UART, JTAG, and other interfaces.
• Strong Python for automation, test, and build tooling.
• Strong board-level bring-up and lab debugging skills on real hardware.
• Startup mindset: you work independently across HW, SW, and physics.

Responsibilities

• FPGA Platform Ownership: lead selection, procurement, and bring-up of FPGA prototyping platforms for pre-silicon RTL validation and software development.
• RTL Implementation: adapt ASIC RTL onto FPGA targets, including multi-clock-domain architectures and timing closure.
• IP Integration: integrate in-house designs with vendor IP; expert on AMD/Xilinx ecosystem.
• High-Speed Interfaces: design and validate high-speed I/O with a focus on PCIe in standard servers.
• Post-Silicon Validation: build FPGA-based testers for silicon bring-up and characterization.
• Hardware-Software Stack: develop the software layer around hardware (Python/C++).
• Lab Debug: root-cause timing and functional issues using ILA/Vivado Analyzer and lab tools.

Skills

SystemVerilog/VHDL

Python

Lab debugging

PCIe

Xilinx Vivado

Tools

Vivado IP Integrator

HAPS / VCU118

Job description

Normal Computing | Build with Us

Normal is an applied AI company solving the hardest problems in AI and silicon. We build foundational hardware and software for the semiconductor industry, critical AI infrastructure, and the broader systems that power our world, in partnership with the world's most advanced institutions. We work as one team across New York City, Silicon Valley (Mountain View), London, Copenhagen, and Seoul.

The Role

Validating conventional silicon is a solved discipline. Validating silicon that computes with noise is not, and you will be the one who figures out how. As our FPGA Design Engineer, you will own the bridge between RTL and physical silicon: bringing our physics-inspired ASIC designs to life on FPGA platforms for pre-silicon validation and early software development, and building the test infrastructure for post-silicon bring-up and characterization. Your scope spans the entire FPGA lifecycle: selecting hardware platforms, implementing complex RTL, debugging in the lab, and writing the software that drives it all, working daily with our silicon, EDA, and research teams.

What You Will Own

• FPGA Platform Ownership: Lead the selection, procurement, and bring-up of FPGA prototyping platforms (e.g., HAPS, VCU118/VPK180-class boards, or custom hardware) for pre-silicon RTL validation and software development.
• RTL Implementation: Adapt and implement complex ASIC RTL onto FPGA targets, including multi-clock-domain architectures, CDC bridges, and timing closure on dense designs.
• IP Integration: Integrate in-house designs with third-party and vendor IP; serve as the expert on the AMD/Xilinx ecosystem (Vivado IP Integrator, transceivers, memory controllers).
• High-Speed Interfaces: Design, implement, and validate high-speed I/O with a focus on PCIe: our accelerators ship as PCIe cards in standard servers.
• Post-Silicon Validation: Build FPGA-based "tester" designs for silicon bring-up, device characterization, and automated test environments.
• Hardware-Software Stack: Develop the software layer around the hardware: Python/C++ hardware abstraction, register-map generation, and automated build and regression flows.
• Lab Debug: Root-cause complex timing and functional issues in real time using ILA/Vivado Analyzer, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and BER/eye-diagram characterization of high-speed links.

What Makes You a Great Fit

• Proven industry experience taking FPGA designs from RTL through timing closure to validated hardware, ideally in an ASIC prototyping, emulation, or high-growth hardware environment.
• Expert-level SystemVerilog and/or VHDL for synthesis, with deep proficiency in Xilinx Vivado (synthesis, place & route, timing closure, IP catalog).
• Hands-on experience implementing and debugging PCIe, plus AXI/AHB, SPI, UART, JTAG, and other common interfaces.
• Strong Python for automation, test, and build tooling.
• Strong board-level bring-up and lab debugging skills on real hardware.
• Startup mindset: you work independently, pivot quickly, and run at ambiguous problems that span hardware, software, and physics.

Bonus Points

• Verification frameworks like Cocotb or UVM
• Experience deploying ML models to FPGAs (hls4ml, FINN, or custom NN-to-RTL flows), or building real-time, sub-microsecond signal processing pipelines.
• Mixed-signal ASIC exposure: digital front-ends, ADC/DAC interfaces, or analog compute.
• SERDES tuning and signal integrity fundamentals.
• CI/CD for hardware (GitLab CI, Docker-based build and test).

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Normal Computing is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. 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 legally protected status.

Accessibility Accommodations

Normal Computing is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please let us know at [e-mail].

Privacy Notice

By submitting your application, you agree that Normal Computing may collect, use, and store your personal information for employment-related purposes in accordance with our Applicant Privacy Notice.