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Director Emulation Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

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CPU Emulation Engineer, Silicon

Austin, TX · On-site

... direct-to-consumer products. You'll contribute to the innovation behind products loved by millions ... Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) synthesis, and validation strategies for industry-standard emulation ...

Bigbear.ai

Emulation Developer

Annapolis Junction, MD · On-site

$75K/yr

BigBear.ai is seeking a talented Emulation Developer to design, develop, and test application ... directed by the Government. • Develop custom graphical user interfaces (GUIs) for applications ...

Mizuho Financial Group Inc.

$150 - $225/hr

The Adversary Emulation Director leads Mizuho's proactive security functions, with primary ... Develop and mentor a team of analysts and engineers across vulnerability management, threat ...

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Director Emulation Engineer information

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$59.5K

$111.6K

$203K

How much do director emulation engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 6, 2026, the average yearly pay for director emulation engineer in the United States is $111,632.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $80,500.00 and $132,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a director emulation engineer do?

A Director Emulation Engineer oversees the development and implementation of hardware emulation systems used to test and validate the functionality of semiconductor designs before they are manufactured. This role involves managing a team of engineers, setting technical direction, and ensuring that emulation platforms meet project and company requirements. Responsibilities also include collaborating with design, verification, and software teams to optimize workflows and improve overall productivity. The Director Emulation Engineer plays a critical role in reducing time-to-market and ensuring design quality in the semiconductor industry.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a director emulation engineer?

To excel as a Director Emulation Engineer, you need deep expertise in hardware verification, emulation methodologies, and a solid background in electrical or computer engineering, often with an advanced degree. Familiarity with industry-standard tools like Cadence Palladium, Synopsys ZeBu, or Mentor Veloce, as well as experience with scripting languages and EDA workflows, is essential. Leadership, strategic thinking, and effective communication distinguish top performers by enabling them to guide teams and coordinate complex projects. These skills ensure efficient verification cycles, high-quality silicon development, and successful cross-functional collaboration in fast-paced semiconductor environments.

What are some common challenges faced by a director emulation engineer when leading emulation projects?

A Director Emulation Engineer often navigates challenges such as aligning cross-functional teams, managing resource allocation, and ensuring timely delivery of complex emulation solutions. Balancing the technical intricacies of hardware and software integration while meeting aggressive project timelines is frequently required. Additionally, keeping up with evolving emulation technologies and fostering team expertise are critical to maintaining project success and supporting innovation.

What is the difference between Director Emulation Engineer vs Senior Emulation Engineer?

AspectDirector Emulation EngineerSenior Emulation Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's/Master's in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science, possibly with leadership experienceBachelor's/Master's in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science, with extensive emulation experience
Work EnvironmentLeads teams, manages projects, collaborates with multiple departmentsPerforms hands-on emulation design, testing, and optimization
Industry UsageUsed in semiconductor, electronics, and chip design companiesCommonly found in semiconductor and hardware development firms

The main difference is that a Director Emulation Engineer oversees teams and projects, focusing on strategic leadership, while a Senior Emulation Engineer primarily handles technical tasks and hands-on emulation work. Both roles require strong technical skills, but the director position emphasizes management and coordination.

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Director Emulation Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Director Emulation Engineer job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 85% Full Time, 12% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 91% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 6% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $111,632 per year, or $53.7 per hour.

AE Director Emulation and Prototyping

Cadence Design Systems Inc.

San Jose, CA

$157K - $292K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted 12 days ago

Cadence Design Systems rating

9.0

Company rating: 9.0 out of 10

Based on 5 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

33rd of 247 rated software companies

Job description

At Cadence, we hire and develop leaders and innovators who want to make an impact on the world of technology.

At Cadence, we hire and develop innovators and leaders who want to make an impact on the world of technology.
We offer amazing opportunities to grow, no matter where you are in your career. The ideal candidate will be energetic, innovative and enthusiastic about how to help customers solve their toughest verification problems using Cadence technology. Join our elite application engineering team for verification to work closely with the best AEs, PEs and R&D in EDA at a company listed in Fortune magazine and Great Place to Work as one of the World's Best Workplaces year after year!
As an integral member of the North America Verification Field Applications Engineering (AE) Team, you will work directly with industry leading semiconductor and system companies to deploy Cadence's market leading emulation and FPGA prototyping platforms, Palladium and Protium. In this customer facing role you will provide the front line technical support in the pre and post-sales process and will work with account teams to come up with innovative solutions to address our customers' most challenging problems in emulation and prototyping. You will own customer success!
In this role, you will lead and drive a team of application engineers for customer specific emulation and prototyping requirements, including advanced acceleration component development, methodology support, and operation and maintenance of Cadence's emulation and prototyping tools and services. You will lead a team to support technical evaluations and benchmark development for Cadence's market leading tools such as Palladium emulation platform and Protium prototyping platforms. You will be responsible for interaction with customer management and R&D management .
At Cadence, customers are at the heart of everything we do. Talented engineers like you are what enable us to materialize this passion into results. By working directly with Cadence R&D and driving customer engagements, you will enhance your in-depth knowledge in verification tools, unlock unique expertise in verification methodologies, and level up your communication, customer, and sales skills. No matter where you are in your career, whether your next career step is to stay on the technical track, move up in management, or explore sales/marketing career opportunities, the skills and expertise you gain as an Application Engineer here at Cadence will put you miles ahead in your career advancement.

MinimumExperience

MSdegreeinElectricalEngineering/ComputerScienceorrelatedfield

Atleast15+yearsofASICdesign,verification&validationexperience

Theidealcandidatewill:

HaveaproventrackwithdeploymentofAdvancedVerificationSolutions

Havedeeptechnicalknowledgeinafewof;Simulation(AdvancedTestbench),

Emulation(TBA&ICE)&FPGAPrototyping

IntimateknowledgeoftheSOCArchitectures

ChampionthecustomerneedsandworkwithR&D&marketingtodevelop

competitiveandcreativetechnicalsolutionstowincampaigns

Understandthecompetitivelandscapeandbeakeycontributortoproduct

roadmapenablingdifferentiatednextgenerationproducts

Possessexcellentcommunication,presentationandinterpersonalskills

The annual salary range for California is $157,500 to $292,500. You may also be eligible to receive incentive compensation: bonus, equity, and benefits. Sales positions generally offer a competitive On Target Earnings (OTE) incentive compensation structure. Please note that the salary range is a guideline and compensation may vary based on factors such as qualifications, skill level, competencies and work location. Our benefits programs include: paid vacation and paid holidays, 401(k) plan with employer match, employee stock purchase plan, a variety of medical, dental and vision plan options, and more.

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