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Director Emulation Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

FPGA Engineers

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$144K - $199K/yr

Company Description Ajith Ajith at krgtech.com KRG Technologies, Inc., Direct : 661 367 8000 * 310 ... Creation of Emulation/Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) models from a RTL design using emulation ...

... simulations, emulation platforms, and virtual prototypes. • Develop test plans that verify ... Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material ...

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 ...

$100K - $500K/yr

You communicate clearly across architecture, design, DV, emulation, and post-silicon teams. What We ... Develop and execute architecture-focused verification content using UVM, assembly, C/C++, directed ...

Director, SoC Design Engineering

Austin, TX

$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 ...

Director, SoC Design Engineering

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$159K - $195K/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

See salary details

$59.5K

$111.6K

$203K

How much do director emulation engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 16, 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 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.

More about Director Emulation Engineer jobs
What cities are hiring for Director Emulation Engineer jobs? Cities with the most Director Emulation Engineer job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Emulation Engineer jobs? The most popular types of Emulation Engineer jobs are:
What states have the most Director Emulation Engineer jobs? States with the most job openings for Director Emulation Engineer jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Director Emulation Engineer jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Director Emulation Engineer jobs are:
Infographic showing various Director Emulation Engineer job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $111,632 per year, or $53.7 per hour.
Fellow, Server CPU / Post Silicon Architect

Fellow, Server CPU / Post Silicon Architect

Advanced Micro Devices, Inc

Santa Clara, CA • On-site

Full-time

Posted 29 days ago


Advanced Micro Devices rating

8.4

Company rating: 8.4 out of 10

Based on 7 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

22nd of 139 rated electronics manufacturers


Job description


WHAT YOU DO AT AMD CHANGES EVERYTHING 

At AMD, our mission is to build great products that accelerate next-generation computing experiences—from AI and data centers, to PCs, gaming and embedded systems. Grounded in a culture of innovation and collaboration, we believe real progress comes from bold ideas, human ingenuity and a shared passion to create something extraordinary. When you join AMD, you’ll discover the real differentiator is our culture. We push the limits of innovation to solve the world’s most important challenges—striving for execution excellence, while being direct, humble, collaborative, and inclusive of diverse perspectives. Join us as we shape the future of AI and beyond.  Together, we advance your career.  



Fellow, PostSilicon Validation Architecture (Server CPUs)

THE TEAM

Our Server Platform Solutions Engineering team is the ultimate gatekeeper for the quality of every server product we ship including functional, electrical, and security post-silicon validation responsibility.  They work closely with design, product engineering, platform software, and hardware teams on optimized bring-up and execution strategies including ensuring functional correctness, electrical compliance/margins, and enabling customer use cases.  The validation team engages from the beginning of any design project through post-launch.   

During the technical feasibility and development phases, Validation Architects ensure a product has the right controllability and observability features for testing and debugging.  Emulation engineers must work closely with the design verification team and ensure content is ready and well tested in emulation before first silicon arrives in the lab. 

The team develops the necessary tools and silicon/software hooks (e.g., DFx) to generate content with randomization, efficient failure debug, and automation infrastructure enabling the most efficient and effective execution and fastest path to launch.  They embrace approaches such as “at-scale validation clusters” to ensure required quality.

The validation team has the pre-silicon responsibility of reviewing design milestones and qualifying these milestones for tape-out readiness. This requires quality checklists prepared collaboratively with partner teams. With the insights and knowledge developed during the development phase, the validation team will lead the bring-up efforts of any silicon in the lab. 

THE PERSON

At the Fellow level, the Server CPU Validation Architect has business and technical acumen along with experience engaging with global validation organizations including engineering managers, program managers and specialized technical experts.  They should have in-depth understanding of our product architecture and its requirements to meet our customer needs in terms of quality, schedule, and features.  They will understand server silicon validation methodologies with experience in post silicon program ownership and a track record role-modeling a “zero customer escape” mentality.  Quick responsiveness to customer needs, ability to clearly and crisply communicate issues, and discipline/passion in continuous improvement is expected.

The role will involve high level visibility of the most senior leaders inside and outside of the company.   Strong executive level communication (verbal and written) and sound decision making is of utmost importance.

THE ROLE

  • Drive the development of CPU validation strategy and test plan
  • Validation coverage & content/framework developer – owner of test strategy and execution to consistently find hard to detect CPU/SoC architectural/design issues and manufacturing defects and greatly reduce the time to root cause and deploy necessary workarounds.
  • Engage with technical leaders to identify and develop tools and methodologies for validating next-generation server CPU technologies including PCIE, CXL, coherent interconnects, etc.
  • At-scale validation strategist – top technical leader directing the usage of our global server farms to maximize overall quality as measured by customer impactful issues.
  • System level emulation architect – priority setter and key strategist for emulation & prototyping.
  • Drive requirements and priorities for automation capabilities needed for effective and timely execution of platform validation plan leading to product launch.
  • Forward thinker that drives improvement to development process, code architecture and fosters a spirit of innovation and continuous improvement throughout the team
  • Master debugger – “go-to” person for the toughest debug challenges involving security, power management, coherency, PCIE, memory, interrupts, etc. crossing the HW/SW boundaries. Draws on experience to drive continuous improvement in automated debug analysis methodologies and on-chip capabilities.
  • Use of AI tools and techniques to accelerate validation tools and environment development

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

  • BSEE, MSEE preferred
  • Understanding of modern x86 microprocessor architecture and Server platform architecture
  • Experience developing validation methodologies and infrastructure
  • Test plan and test development experience
  • Participated in silicon bring-up and debug
  • Debug skills at both SoC and system level
  • Familiarity with programming and scripting languages (C/C++, Python, ...)
  • Working knowledge of Server operating systems (Linux, Windows)
  • Self-driven team player who can work with minimal guidance
  • Able to network, build relationships and drive effective decision-making across multiple functions and levels within the organization
  • Excellent verbal and written English communication skills
  • Strong analytical skills.

LOCATION

Austin, TX 

Santa Clara, CA

Folsom, CA

This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship.

#LI-LM1

#LI-HYBRID 



Benefits offered are described:  AMD benefits at a glance.

AMD does not accept unsolicited resumes from headhunters, recruitment agencies, or fee-based recruitment services. AMD and its subsidiaries are equal opportunity, inclusive employers and will consider all applicants without regard to age, ancestry, color, marital status, medical condition, mental or physical disability, national origin, race, religion, political and/or third-party affiliation, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.   We encourage applications from all qualified candidates and will accommodate applicants’ needs under the respective laws throughout all stages of the recruitment and selection process.

AMD may use Artificial Intelligence to help screen, assess or select applicants for this position.  AMD’s “Responsible AI Policy” is available here.

 

This posting is for an existing vacancy.

Qualifications:

Benefits offered are described:  AMD benefits at a glance.

AMD does not accept unsolicited resumes from headhunters, recruitment agencies, or fee-based recruitment services. AMD and its subsidiaries are equal opportunity, inclusive employers and will consider all applicants without regard to age, ancestry, color, marital status, medical condition, mental or physical disability, national origin, race, religion, political and/or third-party affiliation, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.   We encourage applications from all qualified candidates and will accommodate applicants’ needs under the respective laws throughout all stages of the recruitment and selection process.

AMD may use Artificial Intelligence to help screen, assess or select applicants for this position.  AMD’s “Responsible AI Policy” is available here.

 

This posting is for an existing vacancy.

Education:UNAVAILABLEEmployment Type: FULL_TIME