Software R&D Engineer, RTL Optimization Tools

NVIDIA Corporation; Santa Clara (CA); Hybrid; USD 136,000 - 219,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Benefits

Job summary

NVIDIA Corporation in Santa Clara, CA seeks a CAD Software Engineer focusing on RTL quality, timing, and power optimization. You’ll work on graph-based RTL traversal, leverage AI/ML ideas, and collaborate with RTL designers to improve data path latency and power delivery across SOC designs.

Ideal candidates have strong C++ with graph algorithms, RTL knowledge, and exposure to EDA toolchains. Hybrid work and deep freedom are emphasized at NVIDIA.

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science or equivalent experience.
• 3+ years of CAD software and VLSI hardware design experience.
• Strong C++ development focus on graph traversal, pattern matching, and optimization.
• Familiarity with RTL design, Verilog/SystemVerilog, and hardware design concerns.

Responsibilities

• Invent parallel, graph-based RTL traversal, analysis, and manipulation methods.
• Assess RTL changes impact on latency, power, DFT, clocking, and power delivery.
• Explore ML/AI techniques to suggest or implement RTL modifications.
• Contribute to high performance software design including multithreading and memory efficiency.

Skills

C++

Graph algorithms

RTL design

Verilog/SystemVerilog

EDA tools

Communication

CAD software

Education

MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science

Tools

Verific

Espresso

Job description

NVIDIA's success builds on a foundation of industry leading hardware. A key strategy in achieving this is our combining of the best of external EDA with highly optimized, internal EDA tools. Our team develops these tools by fusing advances in parallel computing, machine learning, and novel algorithms in C++.

We are seeking an innovative CAD Software Engineer with particular interest in strategies and algorithms for large scale RTL quality, timing, and power optimization. Such optimization usually includes a mix of graph-based algorithms, AI, and feedback from RTL designers, so having experience relevant to each of those areas would be ideal. In practice, techniques often depend on many related domains, so a solid understanding of DFT, clock distribution, power gating, and other SOC integration aspects is essential. Developing software within a leading hardware company means getting to almost exclusively focus on the latest processes and most advanced designs. We're not bogged down by legacy support, niche roles, or convoluted approval processes. Our developers enjoy unusually high intellectual freedom and the ability to explore broad roles. If you like to work across many technical areas and see your successes directly realized in the world's best AI hardware, this is it!

What you’ll be doing:

Invent new methods to enable parallel, graph-based RTL traversal, analysis, and manipulation. Devise strategies for rapidly analyzing the impact of RTL changes on data path latency, power, and impact to DFT, clocking, and power delivery. Explore use of LLMs (Large Language Models), GNNs (Graph Neural Networks), GANs (Generative Adversarial Networks), and Reinforcement Learning for suggesting or automatically implementing RTL modifications. Explore high performance algorithms for clustering, min cost tree covering (technology mapping), datapath implementation and other details of logic synthesis, especially that efficiently incorporate human insight. As with any software engineering team, we do write a lot of code, but this is broader than a typical CAD or EDA role. Instead, we as a team own the whole process from discovery and invention of new optimization opportunities, to developing solutions and working directly inside design teams to facilitate deployment. That translates to a bigger picture view of your work, going beyond simply responding to user requests to instead actively driving the roadmap of increasing hardware design productivity.

What we need to see:

• MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science or equivalent experience
• 3+ years of relevant experience in CAD software and VLSI hardware design
• Demonstrated ability in software development with C++, particularly in algorithm development related to graph traversal, pattern matching, and optimization
• Familiarity with RTL design, including Verilog and SystemVerilog code, as well as general hardware design concerns such as scan chain insertion, MBIST, clock and power distribution, and bus architectures
• Familiarity with related EDA techniques, including logic synthesis, global route, static timing analysis, and SAT solvers
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills

Ways to stand out from the crowd:

• Experience with common EDA building blocks, such as Verific for Verilog parsing, Espresso for logic minimization, and various other components for logic rewriting, tree coverage, SAT solvers, and combinatorial optimization
• Experience in high performance software design including multithreading, distributed computing, efficient memory and I/O use, etc.
• Previous work experience including both software and hardware roles, especially involving SOC/IP integration or RTL design
• Experience with various machine learning techniques for analysis, optimization, and code generation

NVIDIA is widely considered to be one of the technology world's most desirable employers, and due to outstanding advancements, our teams are rapidly growing.

#LI-Hybrid

Salary and Benefits:

Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions. The base salary range is 136,000 USD - 218,500 USD. You will also be eligible for equity and benefits. Applications for this job will be accepted at least until June 15, 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.

NVIDIA pioneered accelerated computing. Today, our AI infrastructure powers global intelligence, transforming every industry. Learn more about NVIDIA.