Principal EDA R&D Engineer

NVIDIA; Westford (MA); On-site; USD 232,000 - 368,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Benefits

Job summary

NVIDIA seeks a Principal EDA R&D Engineer in Westford, MA to pioneer hardware formal verification tools. You will lead research, architecture, and development of core engines enhanced by Agentic AI frameworks, building autonomous AI networks to extend formal capabilities.

Role demands deep algorithmic knowledge, industrial-grade software engineering, and a track record of producing production-quality EDA tools. Expect collaboration across solver strategies, SVA, and RTL methodologies.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. or Master’s degree in a quantitative field or equivalent experience.
• 15+ years of R&D experience building commercial or advanced EDA tools.
• Deep mathematical understanding of formal methods (BMC, PDR/IC3, theorem proving).

Responsibilities

• Architect, construct and advance new formal verification algorithms.
• Design, develop and deploy multi-agent AI systems for RTL analysis and space partitioning.
• Develop orchestration layers for autonomous AI agents to handle large-scale builds.
• Generate SystemVerilog Assertions from natural language specifications and intent.
• Drive features from research to production in high-performance C/C++ environments.

Skills

C++ (Modern C++17/20)

High-performance data structures

Multi-threading

Formal methods knowledge

Agentic AI pipelines

RTL languages knowledge

Education

Ph.D. or Master’s in CS/EE or related field

Tools

LangChain

AutoGen

CrewAI

Job description

NVIDIA is seeking an experienced Principal EDA R&D Engineer to pioneer the next generation of Hardware Formal Verification tools!

In this position, you will lead research, architecture, and development of core formal verification engines improved by Agentic AI frameworks. You will craft collaborative, autonomous AI agent networks to extend formal tools. These tools will automatically break down large builds, coordinate solver strategies, synthesize complex properties, and debug execution traces at an unmatched scale. This role requires deep algorithmic knowledge, rigorous industrial software engineering, and a strong record of producing production‑grade EDA tools.

What You'll Be Doing

• Architect, construct, and advance brand new formal verification algorithms (e.g., Model Checking, SAT/SMT solvers, BDDs, Equivalence Checking, and Theorem Proving).
• Design, develop, and deploy multi‑agent AI systems (using LLMs, Reinforcement Learning, and Graph Neural Networks) that autonomously analyze RTL topologies, partition large design spaces, and dynamically tune solver parameters.
• Develop intelligent orchestration layers where autonomous AI agents collaborate to bypass state‑space explosion, handling multi‑billion‑gate builds and deep sequential depth.
• Develop intelligent engines capable of handling ingestion, abstraction, and the automatic generation of complex System Verilog Assertions (SVA) from natural language specifications and architectural intent.
• Drive features from initial algorithmic research through implementation in high‑performance C/C++ environments, ensuring seamless integration into commercial EDA tool suites.

What We Need To See

• Ph.D. or Master’s degree or equivalent experience in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related quantitative field.
• Minimum of 15 years of professional R&D experience specifically building commercial or advanced academic Electronic Design Automation (EDA) hardware verification tools.
• Deep mathematical and hands‑on understanding of formal methods, including bounded model checking (BMC), unbounded model checking (PDR/IC3), abstract interpretation, and theorem proving.
• Expert‑level proficiency in C/C++ (Modern C++17/20) passionate about high‑performance data structures, memory optimization, and multi‑threading.
• Proven experience building or researching Agentic AI pipelines, multi‑agent frameworks (e.g., LangChain, AutoGen, CrewAI), tool‑use execution, and prompt‑engineering tailored to structured code or hardware descriptions.
• Experience with RTL languages (System Verilog, VHDL, Verilog) combined with solid understanding of System Verilog Assertions (SVA).

Ways To Stand Out From The Crowd

To distinguish yourself, demonstrate a flawless track record of successfully deploying world‑class EDA solutions in high‑stakes environments. Showcase any ambitious projects where you have carefully established innovative answers to complex verification challenges. Highlight experiences that reflect your ability to compete at the highest level and deliver outstanding results.

Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions. The base salary range is 232,000 USD - 368,000 USD.

You will also be eligible for equity and benefits.

Applications for this job will be accepted at least until September 13, 2026.

This posting is for an existing vacancy.

NVIDIA uses AI tools in its recruiting processes.

NVIDIA is committed to fostering an inclusive work environment and proud to be an equal opportunity employer. As we highly value diversity in our current and future employees, we do not discriminate (including in our hiring and promotion practices) on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status or any other characteristic protected by law.