Senior Software Engineer

Hitachi Rail Limited; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Hitachi Rail seeks a Senior Software Engineer in Pittsburgh, PA to lead FPGA-based hardware development. The role spans architecture, design, simulation, verification, and maintenance of complex programmable hardware solutions.

You will collaborate with product managers, engineers, and manufacturing teams to translate requirements into robust hardware designs. The ideal candidate has 6+ years in FPGA/digital hardware, strong HDL experience, and a track record in verification, testbenches, and

Qualifications

• Minimum 6 years of professional experience in FPGA/digital hardware.
• Proven expertise in FPGA and programmable logic development.
• Experience with HDL (VHDL/Verilog/SystemVerilog).
• Strong understanding of timing, clock domain crossing, and hardware architectures.

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture, design, and development of complex programmable hardware solutions (FPGA/CPLD).
• Collaborate with product managers, systems engineers, and software teams to translate requirements into hardware designs.
• Develop simulation environments, testbenches, and verification frameworks to validate functionality, timing, and safety.
• Create and maintain technical documentation including architecture specs and design descriptions.
• Perform hardware-in-the-loop and regression testing to ensure compliance with requirements.
• Mentor junior engineers and drive engineering best practices across the team.

Skills

FPGA design

HDL (VHDL/Verilog/SV)

Digital design fundamentals

Timing analysis

Clock domain crossing

Testbenches & verification

Problem solving

Communication skills

Education

Bachelors or Masters in EE/CE/Electronics

Tools

Intel Quartus

Xilinx Vivado

ModelSim

Questa

Job description

About Us

A career at Hitachi Rail will help create a legacy. With operations in every corner of the world, our work goes to the cutting-edge of digital transformation and technology. From the multi-cultural strength of our global organisation to the sustainable and innovative ways we work to bring people together, there's something for everyone to get stuck into. And that's where you come in.

Job Description

Hitachi Rail is looking for an enthusiastic self-motivated Senior Software Engineer who thrives in a fast-paced environment. The successful candidate is comfortable performing a wide range of tasks from administrative to strategic. This position will be based in Pittsburgh, PA.

Accountabilities

• Lead the architecture, design, development, simulation, verification, implementation, and maintenance of complex programmable hardware solutions utilizing FPGA, CPLD, and related technologies.
• Collaborate with product managers, architects, systems engineers, software engineers, RAMS, verification, and manufacturing teams to understand requirements and translate them into technical specifications, architectures, and programmable hardware designs.
• Develop robust, efficient, and maintainable programmable hardware solutions using VHDL or Verilog following established engineering standards and best practices.
• Create and maintain high-quality technical documentation including architecture specifications, detailed design descriptions, interface definitions, verification plans, and traceability artifacts.
• Develop simulation environments, testbenches, and automated verification frameworks to validate functionality, performance, timing, and safety requirements.
• Perform functional, timing, integration, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), and regression testing to ensure compliance with system and product requirements.
• Conduct design reviews and provide constructive technical feedback to ensure design quality, maintainability, reusability, and compliance with applicable standards.
• Troubleshoot, debug, and resolve complex programmable hardware and system integration issues identified during development, validation, manufacturing, or field operation.
• Support prototype bring-up, board-level integration, laboratory testing, production release, and manufacturing support activities.
• Lead programmable hardware obsolescence mitigation activities, including component replacement analysis, device migration, redesign, impact assessments, and qualification testing.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of development processes, verification methodologies, reusable IP libraries, automation tools, and engineering best practices.
• Mentor and guide junior engineers while fostering a culture of technical excellence, collaboration, and continuous learning.
• Ensure compliance with applicable railway, safety, environmental, reliability, and EMC standards throughout the product lifecycle.
• Evaluate emerging programmable hardware technologies, design tools, and verification methodologies for potential application within Hitachi Rail products and platforms.

Required skills/experience

• Minimum of 6 years of professional experience in FPGA, programmable hardware, digital design, or embedded hardware development.
• Proven expertise in FPGA and programmable logic development using VHDL, Verilog, or SystemVerilog.
• Strong experience with development and verification tools such as Intel Quartus, AMD/Xilinx Vivado, ModelSim, Questa, or equivalent environments.
• Strong understanding of digital design fundamentals, state machines, timing analysis, clock domain crossing, synchronization techniques, and hardware architecture principles.
• Experience developing simulation environments, verification frameworks, and testbenches for complex digital systems.
• Experience performing functional, timing, integration, and validation testing for programmable hardware solutions.
• Familiarity with hardware debugging and validation tools including oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, protocol analyzers, and laboratory test equipment.
• Experience supporting the complete product lifecycle including requirements analysis, design, verification, manufacturing support, field issue resolution, and sustainment engineering.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary engineering environment.

Education

Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Electronics Engineering, or a related field

Equal Opportunity Employer

Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE)-Females/Minorities/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

If you need a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job at Hitachi, please send the nature of request and contact information to [e-mail].

Queries other than accommodation requests will not be responded to.

At Hitachi Rail, there is a place for everyone. We welcome and value differences in background, age, gender, sexuality, family status, disability, race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, and world view. It is our commitment to create an inclusive environment - we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.

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