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Director Emulation Engineer Jobs in Texas (NOW HIRING)

Director, SoC Design Engineering

Austin, TX ยท On-site

$134K - $164K/yr

The Role and Impact We are seeking a highly experienced a Director, SoC Design Engineering, to lead ... emulation, and formal verification approaches, to validate complex SoC designs. - Develop and ...

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Director Emulation Engineer information

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Director Emulation Engineer, and why are they important?

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 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 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.

What are the most commonly searched types of Emulation Engineer jobs in Texas? The most popular types of Emulation Engineer jobs in Texas are:
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What job categories do people searching Director Emulation Engineer jobs in Texas look for? The top searched job categories for Director Emulation Engineer jobs in Texas are:
What cities in Texas are hiring for Director Emulation Engineer jobs? Cities in Texas with the most Director Emulation Engineer job openings:
Infographic showing various Director Emulation Engineer job openings in Texas as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 83% Full Time, 13% Part Time, 1% Temporary, 1% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 92% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution.

SOC Emulation Engineer - Hardware Emulation Infrastructure

Tenstorrent

Austin, TX โ€ข On-site

$100K - $500K/yr

Full-time

Posted 12 days ago


Job description

Tenstorrent is leading the industry on cutting-edge AI technology, revolutionizing performance expectations, ease of use, and cost efficiency. With AI redefining the computing paradigm, solutions must evolve to unify innovations in software models, compilers, platforms, networking, and semiconductors. Our diverse team of technologists have developed a high performance RISC-V CPU from scratch, and share a passion for AI and a deep desire to build the best AI platform possible. We value collaboration, curiosity, and a commitment to solving hard problems. We are growing our team and looking for contributors of all seniorities.
We are seeking a junior-to-mid level SOC Emulation Engineer to support our hardware emulation infrastructure and internal chip design teams. This role focuses on integrating vendor and custom hardware transactors, developing Python-based test frameworks, and providing technical support to emulation users across multiple chip projects.
This role is hybrid, based out of Santa Clara, CA or Austin, TX.
We welcome candidates at various experience levels for this role. During the interview process, candidates will be assessed for the appropriate level, and offers will align with that level, which may differ from the one in this posting.
Who You Are
  • Background in Electrical/Computer Engineering or Computer Science with 1-3 years of experience in chip design, verification, or emulation.
  • Proficient in Python for automation and test development, with a working knowledge of C++ and the ability to navigate SystemVerilog RTL.
  • Skilled at using modern AI tools (Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot) to accelerate code generation, debugging, and documentation analysis.
  • Energetic about supporting diverse teams, from high-level software to low-level firmware, to solve complex runtime and build issues.

What We Need
  • Ability to integrate vendor and custom transactors into RTL testbenches while handling clock domain and tri-state resolution.
  • Experience building Python APIs (using pybind11) and maintaining CMake-based compilation flows for emulation libraries.
  • Solid understanding of standard chip interfaces, bus protocols, and hardware synchronization (resets/clocking).
  • A commitment to triaging and debugging the full stack, spanning from Python tests and C++ bindings down to hardware.

What You Will Learn
  • Deepening your expertise with world-class platforms like Synopsys Zebu for massive-scale silicon validation.
  • Gaining a holistic view of chip development by bridging the gap between hardware RTL and software drivers.
  • Building and optimizing large-scale emulation build and run tooling for high-performance engineering teams.
  • Refining your ability to gather requirements and facilitate communication between hardware designers and software engineers.

Compensation for all engineers at Tenstorrent ranges from $100k - $500k including base and variable compensation targets. Experience, skills, education, background and location all impact the actual offer made.
Tenstorrent offers a highly competitive compensation package and benefits, and we are an equal opportunity employer.
This offer of employment is contingent upon the applicant being eligible to access U.S. export-controlled technology. Due to U.S. export laws, including those codified in the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (EAR), the Company is required to ensure compliance with these laws when transferring technology to nationals of certain countries (such as EAR Country Groups D:1, E1, and E2). These requirements apply to persons located in the U.S. and all countries outside the U.S. As the position offered will have direct and/or indirect access to information, systems, or technologies subject to these laws, the offer may be contingent upon your citizenship/permanent residency status or ability to obtain prior license approval from the U.S. Commerce Department or applicable federal agency. If employment is not possible due to U.S. export laws, any offer of employment will be rescinded.