DDRSS Validation Engineer (RTL + Silicon Debug)
$140,000 - $210,000 USD yearly
Originally posted 29 June 2026 by the employer.
Develop embedded C firmware and execute deep RTL debug across emulation and silicon for DDRSS IP.
About the role
This role spans pre-silicon verification, emulation, and post-silicon validation, focusing on deep debug in RTL/Verilog environments and silicon bring-up. You will validate SoC subsystems including DDRSS IP, memory controllers, caches, and interconnects across simulation, emulation, and silicon platforms.
What you'll do
- Drive validation of SoC subsystems including DDR, memory controller, cache, and interconnect across RTL simulation, emulation platforms, and post-silicon environments. - Perform deep debug of functional issues by root-causing failures in RTL simulations, testbenches, firmware-driven flows, and silicon (timing, stability, performance). - Develop and maintain production-quality firmware in C to manage DDRSS IP sequences through init, frequency, and power management. - Validate firmware across RTL simulation environments, emulation systems, and silicon platforms. - Collaborate cross-functionally with RTL architecture, design verification, and system validation teams. - Develop tools, debug infrastructure, and automation to improve validation efficiency, data collection, and failure triage.
What you'll need
- Bachelor's degree in Science, Engineering, or a related field with 4+ years of ASIC design, verification, validation, integration, or related work experience (or Master's with 3+ years, or PhD with 2+ years). - Experience spanning SoC validation, design verification, or post-silicon validation. - Strong debug skills in Verilog and SystemVerilog simulation environments. - Hands-on experience with firmware development in C for embedded systems. - Experience with silicon bring-up, debug, and validation across simulation, emulation, and silicon platforms. - Solid understanding of computer architecture, SoC subsystems, and memory systems (DDR, cache, interconnect).
This role has been open 113 days — well above the 62-day median for Digital/RTL Design roles.
Digital/RTL Design · RTL Design
|
Open roles in category
1070
|
Median days open
62 d
|
Median salary
$185k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, and who else is hiring
| Metric | Qualcomm | All employers we track in this specialty (1070 roles · 105 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 153 | 1070 |
| Open roles in the wider Digital Design & Verification family | 407 | 3283 · 116 employers |
| Median days open | 57 d | 62 d (−5 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $185k |
Who's hiring in this category
- Qualcomm (this employer) · 153 open roles · median 58 d
- Synopsys · 87 open roles · median 35 d
- AMD · 76 open roles · median 40 d
- Analog Devices · 49 open roles · median 51 d
- NXP Semiconductors · 42 open roles · median 90 d
- NVIDIA · 41 open roles · median 62 d
How we counted: 1070 open Digital/RTL Design (RTL Design) roles from 105 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 22 Oct 2026. Specialty figures count only roles carrying this exact specialty label, so an employer's related work in neighbouring specialties is not included there — it is counted in the wider Digital Design & Verification family row. Figures refresh nightly.