Senior Lead Engineer - Design Verification

About the Role

Altera is seeking a Senior Lead Engineer - Design Verification to provide hands-on technical leadership for the verification of next-generation FPGA, programmable SoC, and platform solutions. This senior individual-contributor role will shape verification architecture, methodology, and execution for complex digital subsystems and full-chip integrations.

In this role, you will define scalable verification strategies, develop reusable verification environments, and drive coverage-driven closure from early architecture through silicon and product readiness. The successful candidate combines deep SystemVerilog/UVM expertise with strong technical judgment, a high bar for verification quality, and the ability to influence engineering execution across global, cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead verification architecture, planning, and execution for complex FPGA, programmable SoC, and infrastructure-class subsystems, including block, subsystem, and full-chip verification.
• Define comprehensive verification plans that translate architectural intent and product requirements into measurable functional, performance, resilience, and coverage objectives.
• Architect and develop scalable, reusable SystemVerilog/UVM verification environments, verification IP, scoreboards, reference models, constrained-random stimulus, checkers, and coverage models.
• Establish and advance verification methodology, coding standards, testbench guidelines, regression practices, and automation that improve consistency, quality, reuse, debug efficiency, and predictability across programs.
• Drive verification closure using functional, code, assertion, and cross coverage; identify coverage gaps, evaluate risk, and ensure readiness against defined exit criteria.
• Partner closely with architecture and RTL design teams to clarify specifications, identify verification risks early, review microarchitecture, and resolve complex functional or performance issues.
• Lead debug of difficult simulation, integration, and system-level failures; apply rigorous root-cause analysis and drive timely resolution across design, verification, firmware, and validation teams.
• Develop and maintain scalable simulation, regression, build, and reporting infrastructure to support efficient development and release quality.
• Collaborate with emulation, FPGA prototyping, physical design, CAD, firmware, software, board, and post-silicon teams to ensure verification intent is carried through implementation, bring-up, and product delivery.
• Provide technical mentorship and verification leadership through methodology reviews, test-plan reviews, code reviews, and hands-on guidance to engineers across the organization.

What You Will Bring

You are a hands-on verification leader who combines deep technical expertise with a practical, systems-level perspective. You bring disciplined engineering judgment, a collaborative leadership style, and a passion for building the verification foundations that enable Altera to deliver differentiated, high-quality programmable solutions.

Salary Range

The pay range below is for Bay Area California only. Actual salary may vary based on a number of factors including job location, job-related knowledge, skills, experiences, trainings, etc. We also offer incentive opportunities that reward employees based on individual and company performance.

$231,500 - $330,000 USD

We use artificial intelligence to screen, assess, or select applicants for the position. Applicants must be eligible for any required U.S. export authorizations.

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Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline, with 15+ years of relevant experience in design verification for FPGA, ASIC, SoC, or semiconductor products; advanced degree preferred.
• Demonstrated technical leadership delivering verification for complex digital subsystems or products from architecture through RTL verification, integration, full-chip verification, and hardware or silicon validation.
• Deep expertise in SystemVerilog and UVM, including constrained-random verification, assertions, self-checking environments, testbench architecture, functional coverage, and coverage-driven closure.
• Proven experience creating reusable verification IP, UVM frameworks, testbench components, or methodology adopted across multiple blocks, teams, or programs.
• Experience verifying high-performance digital architectures such as networking or packet-processing datapaths, memory subsystems, on-chip interconnect, PCIe/CXL, Ethernet, high-speed I/O, or programmable acceleration.
• Strong understanding of RTL design, microarchitecture, simulation, debug, formal or static verification concepts, and hardware development flows.
• Experience with regression management, simulation build and execution flows, test automation, and data-driven verification reporting.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate and influence across architecture, RTL design, CAD, emulation, firmware/software, system validation, and product engineering organizations.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly communicate verification strategy, risk, closure status, and technical recommendations to diverse audiences.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience verifying FPGA architectures, programmable-logic devices, configurable interconnect, SmartNICs, IPUs, SoCs, or data-center acceleration platforms.
• Experience with C/C++, SystemC, Python, Tcl, Perl, or shell scripting for reference models, automation, testbench infrastructure, or verification productivity.
• Experience with formal verification, low-power verification, CDC/RDC analysis, performance verification, or hardware-accelerated verification environments.
• Experience with full-chip verification, processor-based test development, firmware/software co-verification, or post-silicon debug.
• Experience leading verification methodology or mentoring engineers in a matrixed engineering environment.
• A record of innovation through patents, publications, standards contributions, or sustained methodology leadership.
• Job Type: Regular
• Shift: Shift 1 (United States of America)
• Primary Location: San Jose, California, United States