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Fpga Emulation Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Senior ASIC Emulation Engineer

OR · On-site +1

$170K - $250K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • PTO

Experience with FPGA prototyping platforms (HAPS, Protium, custom FPGA boards). * Experience with low-power modes and power-aware emulation. * Experience with analog/mixed-signal behavioral models in ...

Connectivity Systems Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$117K - $161K/yr

Experience collaborating with firmware and FPGA/emulation engineers to bring up, integrate, and debug the emulation platform, ensuring correct hardware/software interaction and a properly functioning ...

Senior ASIC Emulation Engineer

Seattle, WA · On-site

$170K - $250K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • PTO

Experience with FPGA prototyping platforms (HAPS, Protium, custom FPGA boards). * Experience with low-power modes and power-aware emulation. * Experience with analog/mixed-signal behavioral models in ...

Emulation Verification Engineer

Beaverton, OR · On-site

$141K - $172K/yr

Preferred Qualifications Understanding of the tool flow from RTL to Emulation is a huge plus Good understanding of any Standard Emulator (Palladium, Veloce, Zebu) OR FPGA (Xilinx, Altera) flow Proven ...

Sr. FPGA Engineer

Burlingame, CA · On-site

$160K - $210K/yr

Establish robust verification frameworks, including simulation, emulation, and hardware validation. What you'll bring: * PhD or MS/BS in EE/CE or related field, 7+ years of FPGA and DSP ...

Senior ASIC Emulation Engineer

$170K - $250K/yr

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

  • Life

  • PTO

Experience with FPGA prototyping platforms (HAPS, Protium, custom FPGA boards). * Experience with low-power modes and power-aware emulation. * Experience with analog/mixed-signal behavioral models in ...

Emulation Verification Engineer

Cupertino, CA · On-site

$167K - $204K/yr

Preferred Qualifications Understanding of the tool flow from RTL to Emulation is a huge plus Good understanding of any Standard Emulator (Palladium, Veloce, Zebu) OR FPGA (Xilinx, Altera) flow Proven ...

Description As a member of the Emulation verification team, we play a key role in using Emulation ... Zebu) OR FPGA (Xilinx, Altera) flow Proven design verification skills Experience in writing ...

Description As a member of the Emulation verification team, we play a key role in using Emulation ... Zebu) OR FPGA (Xilinx, Altera) flow Proven design verification skills Experience in writing ...

Emulation Verification Engineer

Cupertino, CA · On-site

$167K - $204K/yr

Preferred Qualifications Understanding of the tool flow from RTL to Emulation is a huge plus Good understanding of any Standard Emulator (Palladium, Veloce, Zebu) OR FPGA (Xilinx, Altera) flow Proven ...

Experience with FPGA prototyping platforms (HAPS, Protium, custom FPGA boards). * Experience with low-power modes and power-aware emulation. * Experience with analog/mixed-signal behavioral models in ...

Emulation Verification Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$160K/yr

We are looking for you to join our emulation team focusing on the creation, deployment, and support ... Zebu) OR FPGA (Xilinx, Altera) flow Proven Design Verification or Silicon Validation skills ...

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Fpga Emulation information

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$70K

$147.1K

$210.5K

How much do fpga emulation jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 16, 2026, the average yearly pay for fpga emulation in the United States is $147,056.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $123,000.00 and $169,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Fpga Emulation vs Fpga Design Engineer?

AspectFpga EmulationFpga Design Engineer
Required CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related fields; certifications like Certified FPGA EngineerBachelor's or Master's in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related fields; certifications like Certified FPGA Engineer
Work EnvironmentUses specialized hardware platforms for testing and validation; often in labs or R&D facilitiesDesigning, coding, and simulating FPGA architectures; typically in design teams or R&D labs
Industry UsagePrimarily in verification, validation, and system integration phasesInvolved in the development, optimization, and implementation of FPGA designs

While both roles require similar educational backgrounds and certifications, Fpga Emulation focuses on testing and validation using specialized hardware, whereas Fpga Design Engineers concentrate on creating and optimizing FPGA architectures. Understanding these differences helps clarify career paths and job expectations in the FPGA industry.

What are some common challenges faced by FPGA emulation engineers during project development?

FPGA Emulation Engineers often encounter challenges such as debugging complex hardware-software interactions, optimizing emulation speed for large-scale designs, and ensuring accurate synchronization between emulated components. The role typically involves collaborating closely with design, verification, and software teams to resolve issues quickly and maintain project timelines. Staying up-to-date with evolving tools and methodologies is crucial, as is strong communication to coordinate across multidisciplinary teams.

What is FPGA emulation?

FPGA emulation is the process of using Field-Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) to mimic the behavior of digital circuits or systems, often for the purpose of verifying hardware designs before they are manufactured. This allows engineers to test and debug their designs in a real hardware environment, which is faster and more accurate than software simulation alone. FPGA emulation is commonly used in the development of complex systems-on-chip (SoCs), as it helps catch design errors early and speeds up the overall verification process. It bridges the gap between software simulation and physical prototyping, providing a high-performance and flexible platform for hardware validation.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an FPGA emulation engineer?

To thrive as an FPGA Emulation Engineer, you need a solid background in digital design, hardware description languages (like VHDL or Verilog), and experience with FPGA architectures, typically supported by a degree in electrical engineering or a related field. Familiarity with emulation platforms such as Mentor Graphics Veloce, Synopsys ZeBu, or Cadence Palladium, as well as debugging and verification tools, is essential. Strong problem-solving abilities, attention to detail, and effective communication skills help you collaborate with design and verification teams. These skills ensure accurate hardware validation, efficient bug detection, and smooth integration within complex chip development cycles.
More about Fpga Emulation jobs
Infographic showing various Fpga Emulation job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 94% Full Time, 1% Part Time, and 5% Contract. Highlights an 92% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 4% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $147,056 per year, or $70.7 per hour.

Senior ASIC Emulation Engineer

K2 Space

OR • On-site, Remote

$170K - $250K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, PTO

Posted 12 days ago


Job description

The Role

We are seeking a Senior ASIC Emulation Engineer who will lead the bring-up, deployment, and optimization of our pre-silicon emulation platforms. You will work closely with architecture, RTL design, DFT, DV, firmware, physical design, and silicon validation teams to enable highfidelity hardware/software co-development and accelerate verification cycles. This is a hands-on role with high ownership, deep technical engagement, and the opportunity to shape firstgeneration silicon and system methodology.

Responsibilities

  • Build, integrate, and maintain full-chip, multi-chips and system-level emulation models on platforms such as Palladium, ZeBu, or Veloce.
  • Define and evolve emulation strategy, methodology, and workflows across the ASIC organization.
  • Work with RTL engineers to compile, map, and optimize designs for emulation performance, capacity, and stability.
  • Develop and integrate transactors, BFMs, speed adapters, and virtualization interfaces to support diverse system use cases.
  • Support systemlevel testing in emulation by enabling full hardware/software integration, validating complex use cases, and ensuring the environment can run representative endtoend workloads.
  • Accelerate overall verification throughput by helping DV team run targeted and highvalue tests in emulation, including adapting DV content and optimizing flows to reduce simulation bottlenecks.
  • Enable firmware, bootloader, driver, and software teams by providing robust emulation platforms and assisting in HW/SW integration debug.
  • Run emulation workloads, triage failures, perform root-cause analysis, and collaborate across design and verification to resolve issues.
  • Maintain and enhance automation for compile flows, regression management, and continuous integration.
  • Participate in architecture reviews, microarchitecture discussions, and influence design-for-emulation best practices.
  • Support silicon bring-up and post-silicon validation through test reuse, diagnostics, and pre/post-silicon correlation.
  • Manage interactions with external IP providers or emulation partners when needed.

Qualifications

  • B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field.
  • 5+ years of experience in ASIC/SoC development, focused on emulation
  • Solid understanding of SystemVerilog, digital logic, RTL flows, DV methodologies, and ASIC development lifecycles.
  • Hands-on expertise with major emulation platforms (Palladium, ZeBu, Veloce), including model build, debug and performance optimization
  • Proficiency with scripting languages (Python, Perl, TCL) for automation and tooling.
  • Experience with hardware/software interfaces, embedded processors, firmware bring-up, and C/C++based system-level testing.
  • Familiarity with industry-standard buses and protocols such as APB/AHB/AXI, JTAG, SPI.
  • Experience driving cross-functional debug involving RTL, DV, firmware, physical design, and validation teams.
  • Understanding of pre- and post-silicon debug methodologies and correlation workflows.

Nice to Have

  • Experience with FPGA prototyping platforms (HAPS, Protium, custom FPGA boards).
  • Experience with low-power modes and power-aware emulation.
  • Experience with analog/mixed-signal behavioral models in emulation environments.
  • Experience with SERDES and high-speed data protocols such as PCIe, Ethernet, USB, or multi-gigabit PHYs.

Compensation and Benefits:

  • Base salary range for this role is $170,000 - $250,000 + equity in the company
  • Salary will be based on several factors including, but not limited to: knowledge and skills, education, and experience level
  • Comprehensive benefits package including paid time off, medical/dental/vision/ coverage, life insurance, paid parental leave, and many other perks

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About K2 Space

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Industry

Guided missile and space vehicle manufacturing

Company size

11 - 50 Employees

Headquarters location

Los Angeles, CA, US

Year founded

2022