Lead Digital Verification Engineer
Efficient Computer · Austin, TX · 3 days ago
HybridEngineering$200k–$230k/yrFull-time
Key Responsibilities
- Define the end-to-end verification strategy across block, subsystem, and full-chip levels aligned with tapeout milestones
- Author and review verification plans mapping specifications to features, stimulus strategies(traditional stimulus generation, compiler driven), coverage goals, and sign-off criteria
- Architect scalable UVM-based testbench environments including agents, scoreboards, reference models, and coverage monitors
- Drive constrained-random stimulus development targeting protocol interactions, concurrency, error injection, and corner cases
- Define and close functional coverage models through systematic hole analysis, targeted tests, seed optimization, and regression tuning
- Deploy SystemVerilog Assertions for protocol compliance, interface checks, and design invariants across all simulation runs
- Lead full-chip verification including boot sequences, interrupt handling, DMA flows, power-on reset, and multi-block interactions
- Ensure CDC, RDC, and multi-power-domain verification in coordination with specialist tools and teams
- Debug complex simulation failures spanning multi-block interactions, protocol violations, race conditions, and timing-dependent corner cases
- Own the bug lifecycle — triage, prioritization, tracking, fix verification, and cross-functional resolution with RTL designers and architects
- Manage the regression framework — defining suites, maintaining stability, optimizing throughput, and integrating with CI/CD pipelines
- Coordinate simulation-to-emulation handoff ensuring verification collateral transitions effectively to emulation environments
- Collaborate cross-functionally with Compiler Team, RTL design, DFT, physical design, and post-silicon validation teams
- Lead, mentor, and grow the verification engineering team while maintaining a high quality bar through rigorous reviews
- Represent verification readiness in tapeout sign-off reviews and program-level decisions
- Support running gate-level simulations as part of design signoff
- Aid in building a verification dashboard to quickly understand where a design is in the verification process and to identify regressions
Required Qualifications & Experience
- Education: Bachelor's or Master's/PhD degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
- Experience: 10+ years of progressive experience in ASIC/SoC design verification, with at least 3 years in a lead role owning verification strategy, sign-off, and team execution.
- UVM Mastery: Deep expertise in UVM-based testbench architecture and constrained-random verification methodology — not just usage, but architectural decision-making and optimization.
- SystemVerilog: Advanced proficiency in SystemVerilog for verification including classes, constraints, functional coverage, assertions (SVA), interfaces, and packages.
- Coverage Closure: Demonstrated track record of driving functional and code coverage to tapeout sign-off on complex, multi-million-gate SoC/ASIC designs.
- Debug Skills: Proven ability to debug deeply complex simulation failures spanning multiple design blocks, protocols, and abstraction levels.
- SoC Architecture: Strong understanding of modern SoC building blocks — processors (ARM, RISC-V), interconnects (AMBA AXI/ACE/CHI), memory controllers, DMA engines, interrupt controllers, and standard peripherals.
- Scripting & Automation: Proficiency in Python, Perl, or Tcl for test automation, log analysis, coverage post-processing, and regression flow development.
- Communication: Clear and effective communication of verification status, risk, and trade-offs to technical peers and program leadership.