Prototyping and Emulation Engineer

Job Title:

Prototyping and Emulation Engineer

Location:

Markham, ON & Austin, TX Client: AMD

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated FPGA Prototyping and Emulation Engineer to join our hardware development team. This role is critical to accelerating silicon validation and system-level debug through advanced prototyping and emulation platforms. You will work closely with architecture, design, and verification teams to enable early software development and system bring‑up.

We’re on the lookout for an Engineer with strong experience in semiconductor validation and hardware/software co‑debug. Ideal candidates will have worked on advanced SoC designs and validation methodologies, with prior experience developing large‑scale SoC models (1B+ gates) and applying expert debug techniques.

• Develop and maintain FPGA‑based prototypes using Xilinx FPGAs and Synopsys HAPS platforms.
• Perform FPGA synthesis, partitioning, and timing closure for complex SoC designs.
• Drive bring‑up and debug of SoC prototypes, including waveform capture and analysis.
• Interface with custom PCBs and semiconductor components for system‑level validation.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to support pre‑silicon and post‑silicon debug.
• Integrate and support emulation platforms including Synopsys ZeBu, Cadence Palladium/Protium, and Mentor Veloce.
• Use AI‑based modeling to generate behavioral models of removed modules.
• Maintain and monitor quality model development, deployment, and automated regression testing infrastructure.
• Develop and maintain model "smoke tests" to ensure model functionality prior to delivery to bring‑up teams.
• Drive technical innovation across validation, including tool and script development, methodology enhancement, and cross‑functional initiatives.
• Debug issues across bring‑up, validation, and production phases of SoC programs.
• Track test execution and ensure timely validation and optimization of all features.
• Engage with other software/hardware modeling frameworks and support teams.
• Lead collaborative efforts across multiple engineering teams.

• Strong hands‑on experience with Xilinx FPGA architecture and tool chains.
• Expertise in Verilog/System Verilog design and simulation.
• Proficiency with FPGA synthesis and partitioning tools (e.g., Synplify, Vivado).
• Experience with Synopsys HAPS prototyping platforms.
• Solid understanding of SoC bring‑up, debug methodologies, and waveform analysis.
• Familiarity with PCB bring‑up and hardware/software interfacing.
• Proficiency with C/C++, low‑level boot code, and firmware development.

• Experience with emulation platforms such as Synopsys ZeBu, Cadence Palladium/Protium, or Mentor Veloce.
• Understanding of BIOS for system, x86, and ARM cores.
• Knowledge of scripting languages (Python, Tcl, Perl, Ruby) for automation and tool integration.
• Background in semiconductor validation and hardware/software co‑debug.
• Prior development of large SoC models (1B gates+).
• Strong debug techniques and methodologies.
• Extensive experience with lab equipment (protocol/logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, etc.).
• Deep experience with board/platform‑level debug, delivery, sequencing, and optimization.
• Strong knowledge of system architecture and validation strategy.
• Excellent analytical and problem‑solving skills with attention to detail.
• Self‑starter with the ability to independently drive tasks to completion.

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Engineering