Build And Release Engineer

Job Title Emulation Build Engineer Summary We are seeking an Emulation Build Engineer to own the end-to-end process of building, compiling, and validating RTL design models targeting hardware emulation and prototyping platforms — specifically Cadence Palladium, Cadence Protium, and/or Synopsys ZeBu. You will be the critical bridge between RTL design teams and validation/software teams, ensuring that high-quality, synthesizable emulation models are delivered on schedule to enable early firmware development, hardware-software co-verification, and system-level validation. Key Responsibilities Emulation Model Build & Compilation Build, compile, and optimize RTL-to-gate/behavioral models targeting Palladium, Protium, and/or ZeBu emulation platforms Own the emulation build flow from RTL ingestion through synthesis, partitioning, mapping, place-and-route, and bitstream/image generation Resolve synthesis and compilation errors including unresolved modules, black-box instantiation, clock/reset inference, memory mapping, and multi-driver conflicts Implement and maintain RTL waivers, workarounds, and design abstraction (memory wrappers, analog stubs, IP replacements) to achieve clean compilations Optimize build configurations for compile time, resource utilization, emulation speed (MHz), and capacity across target platforms Manage incremental and hierarchical build strategies to reduce turnaround time for design iterations Support multi-domain and multi-clock designs with proper clock modeling and domain crossing handling Model Validation & Quality Validate emulation models through sanity tests, boot tests, and golden-reference comparisons against RTL simulation Ensure functional equivalence between RTL simulation and emulation by running correlation test suites Debug and resolve model mismatches (simulation vs. emulation) due to synthesis artifacts, X-state handling, timing differences, or initialization issues Validate memory models, I/O interfaces, and transactor/synthesizable BFM integration Perform coverage analysis on emulation models and track model quality metrics Maintain a regression suite for build-level validation (smoke tests, connectivity checks) Infrastructure & Automation Develop and maintain automated build pipelines (CI/CD) for nightly/weekly emulation model builds Create scripts and tools for build monitoring, error triage, capacity tracking, and build status reporting Maintain version-controlled build configurations, design collateral, and release notes Manage compute farm resources (LSF/SGE/Slurm) and optimize job scheduling for emulation builds Track and manage platform licenses and capacity allocation across projects Develop dashboards and metrics for build health, turnaround time, and platform utilization Collaboration & Support Partner with RTL design teams on design readiness, coding guidelines, and synthesizability best practices for emulation Work with verification/validation teams to integrate transactors, probes, and debug infrastructure into emulation models Collaborate with firmware/software teams to deliver validated models for early SW development and hardware-software co-validation Coordinate with EDA vendor support (Cadence, Synopsys) for tool issues, feature requests, and platform upgrades Support silicon bring-up teams with emulation-correlated debug and pre-silicon regression data Participate in project planning to communicate build schedules, risks, and dependencies Required Qualifications Education: B.S./M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field Experience: 3–8+ years in emulation model build, FPGA prototyping, or related hardware compilation roles Hands-on experience with one or more emulation/prototyping platforms: Strong understanding of RTL design constructs and synthesizability rules (Verilog/SystemVerilog) Experience with logic synthesis concepts (technology mapping, optimization, timing constraints) Proficiency in scripting and automation: Python, Perl, Tcl, Bash, Makefiles Knowledge of memory modeling (SRAM, ROM, FIFO wrappers) and abstraction for emulation Familiarity with clock modeling strategies (clock generators, clock muxes, PLLs) in emulation Understanding of design hierarchy, IP integration, and SoC-level build complexity Experience with version control (Git, Perforce) and build management systems

Own the end-to-end process of building, compiling, and validating RTL design models for hardware emulation platforms like Palladium, Protium, and ZeBu. Act as the bridge between RTL design and validation teams to enable early firmware development and system-level verification.

Requires a B.S. or M.S. in Electrical or Computer Engineering with 3-8+ years of experience in emulation model builds or FPGA prototyping. Proficiency in RTL constructs, logic synthesis, and scripting languages such as Python, Tcl, and Bash is essential.

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• RTL Design
• Hardware Emulation
• FPGA Prototyping
• Verilog
• SystemVerilog
• Logic Synthesis
• Python
• Perl
• Tcl
• Bash
• Makefiles
• CI/CD
• Git
• Perforce
• Memory Modeling
• SoC Build

Minimum education

Bachelor’s degree

Minimum experience

5+ years