SoC Validation Engineer

NXP Semiconductors NV; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 130,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

NXP Semiconductors NV in Austin, Texas is seeking a Digital SoC Validation Engineer to drive validation for complex SoCs used in automotive, industrial, networking, and IoT applications. You will craft test plans, port and run tests on both emulation and silicon, and collaborate closely with design, verification, firmware, software, and product teams to ensure high-quality silicon releases.

You will develop validation environments, automate tests, and debug issues using lab equipment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in electrical/computer engineering or related field.
• 10+ years of experience in SoC validation, emulation, or silicon validation.
• Strong understanding of digital design fundamentals and SoC architectures.
• Experience with ARM-based systems and embedded processors.
• Proficient in C and scripting languages (Python/Perl/Shell).
• Familiarity with lab hardware and debug techniques (JTAG, oscilloscopes, analyzers).
• Experience with Linux environment and common development tools.
• Experience with PCIe, USB, Ethernet, CAN, SPI, I2C, UART, and MIPI interfaces.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement validation plans for digital SoC subsystems and full-chip functionality.
• Create or port validation tests at IP/sub-system/SoC levels.
• Bring-up and debug tests on pre-silicon emulation and silicon.
• Characterize risks across process/voltage/temperature.
• Build validation environments, test frameworks, and automation scripts.
• Debug silicon issues with lab equipment and capture root causes.
• Validate high-speed interfaces and industry-standard protocols.
• Develop automation solutions in Python/Perl/Shell/C/C++.
• Review designs and verification results for complete coverage.
• Support product qualification, reliability testing, and issue resolution.
• Generate thorough validation reports for cross-functional stakeholders.

Skills

SoC validation

Digital design

Problem solving

Excellent communication

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Electrical Engineering

Tools

ARM assembly language

Linux

JTAG debugging

Python

Perl

Shell scripting

PCIe

USB

Ethernet

CAN

MIPI

FPGA prototyping

Job description

NXP is seeking a highly motivated Digital SoC Validation Engineer to join the Silicon Validation team in Austin, Texas. The successful candidate will be responsible for both pre-silicon emulation and silicon validation, debug, and characterization of complex System-on-Chip (SoC) products used in automotive, industrial, networking, and IoT applications. In this capacity, the successful candidate will be developing test plans, writing/porting test code, and executing/debugging tests on both emulation and silicon. This role requires close collaboration with design, verification, firmware, software, and product engineering teams to ensure high-quality silicon releases.

Job Responsibilities

• Develop validation plans for digital SoC subsystems and full-chip functionality from design specifications.
• Develop and/or port validation test content at IP, sub-system, and/or SoC level features/interfaces.
• Bring-up, execute, and debug validation tests on both pre-silicon emulation and actual silicon.
• Perform characterization and debug of silicon devices under process, voltage, and temperature variations.
• Design and develop validation environments, test frameworks, and automation scripts.
• Debug silicon issues using lab equipment such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, protocol analyzers, and JTAG debuggers.
• Analyze failures and collaborate with design and verification teams for root-cause identification and corrective actions.
• Validate high-speed interfaces and industry-standard protocols including PCIe, USB, Ethernet, CAN, SPI, I2C, UART, and MIPI interfaces.
• Develop Python, Perl, Shell, or C/C++ based automation solutions to improve validation efficiency.
• Review architecture, design specifications, and verification results to ensure complete coverage.
• Support product qualification, reliability testing, and customer issue resolution activities.
• Generate detailed validation reports and communicate findings to cross-functional stakeholders.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in SoC validation, emulation / silicon validation.
• Strong understanding of digital design fundamentals, computer architecture, and SoC architectures.
• Experience with embedded processors such as ARM-based systems.
• Knowledge of hardware debug techniques and laboratory equipment.
• Experience in C programming language.
• Knowledge of ARM assembly language.
• Experience with Linux environment.
• Proficiency in scripting languages (Python, Perl, or Shell scripting).
• Experience with industry-standard interfaces and communication protocols.
• Familiarity with FPGA prototyping and board-level validation.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and debugging skills.
• Excellent communication and teamwork abilities.

More information about NXP in the United States...

NXP is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer regardless of age, color, national origin, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital status, status as a disabled veteran and/or veteran of the Vietnam Era or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, NXP will provide reasonable accommodations for otherwise qualified disabled individuals.