Senior Design Automation Engineer - Front End Design Verification

191 Altera Corporation; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 178,900 - 259,000; Full time

Job summary

191 Altera Corporation is seeking a Senior Design Automation Engineer in San Jose, California, to join our Design Methodology, Automation and Infrastructure Team. This role involves developing automation flows that enhance FPGA design productivity and efficiency while collaborating with cross-functional teams.

The ideal candidate will possess a Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering, with a minimum of 8 years of relevant experience. The position offers a competitive salary range of $178,900 - $259,000 USD, depending on individual skills and qualifications.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of relevant industry experience.
• Proficiency in scripting/programming languages such as Python, Tcl, and Shell.
• Experience building flow automation tools and integrating them into design pipelines.

Responsibilities

• Develop, deploy, and support advanced design automation flows for digital semiconductor design.
• Evaluate and enhance EDA tools to improve productivity.
• Collaborate with design teams to identify and implement process improvements.

Skills

Front End RTL and/or Design Verification EDA tools

AI/ML-driven features

Unix/Linux environments

Python

Tcl

Shell scripting

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering

Tools

VCS

Xcelium

SpyGlass

Job description

About Altera

Altera is at the forefront of enabling the future of advanced semiconductor solutions. We specialize in delivering world‑class programmable logic devices, embedded systems, and high‑performance accelerators that power cutting‑edge applications across telecommunications, data centers, aerospace, and emerging AI workloads. Our culture thrives on innovation, collaboration, and excellence – empowering talented engineers to design breakthrough technologies that shape tomorrow.

About the Role

Altera is seeking a Senior Design Automation Engineer to join our Design Methodology, Automation and Infrastructure Team. This team is responsible for building and maintaining the core automation infrastructure that supports Altera’s FPGA design flows—from RTL to GDSII. In this role, you will play a critical part in scaling our internal design productivity, delivering highly automated, reliable, and efficient flow systems that accelerate development cycles for next‑generation FPGA products.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, deploy, and support advanced design automation flows and methodologies for digital semiconductor design.
• Create scripts, tooling customizations, and automation frameworks leveraging AI‑driven tools and systems to streamline complex design processes.
• Evaluate, integrate, and enhance EDA tools to improve design productivity, efficiency, and quality across the organization.
• Automate repetitive design tasks, delivering solutions that are robust, scalable, maintainable, and aligned with long‑term architecture.
• Collaborate with design and verification teams to identify workflow bottlenecks and implement impactful process improvements.
• Drive continuous improvement in design automation infrastructure, methodologies, and best practices.
• Work closely with internal teams and external EDA vendors to resolve tool issues, influence roadmaps, and adopt new capabilities.

Salary Range

The pay range below is for Bay Area California only. Actual salary may vary based on a number of factors including location, job‑related knowledge, skills, experiences, trainings, etc. We also offer incentive opportunities that reward employees based on individual and company performance. $178,900 - $259,000 USD

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field with 8+ years of relevant industry experience.
• Hands‑on experience with Front End RTL and/or Design Verification EDA tools and FPGA/ASIC design flows (e.g., VCS, Xcelium, SpyGlass).
• Experience utilizing AI/ML‑driven features within commercial EDA tools and/or building data pipelines and training systems to support learning‑based design automation.
• Proficiency in Unix/Linux environments and scripting/programming languages such as Python, Tcl, and Shell.
• Experience building flow automation tools and integrating them into complex design pipelines.
• Ability to collaborate with cross‑functional teams and translate user requirements into scalable solutions.

Preferred Qualifications

• 10+ years of relevant industry experience with Design Automation tools.
• Experience with Front End Pre‑Silicon design verification flows.
• Familiarity with advanced features of EDA tools like Lint/CDC/RDC etc.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to partner across design and CAD/EDA teams.
• Prior experience in large‑scale SoC or IP development environments.

Job Type

Regular

Shift

Shift 1 (United States of America)

Primary Location

San Jose, California, United States

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, religious creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military and veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by local law, regulation, or ordinance.