Senior Staff FPGA Emulation Engineer

Role summary

QT Technologies Ireland Limited, part of Qualcomm, is hiring a Senior Staff FPGA Emulation Engineer in Cork, Ireland. The role sits within the Engineering Group, ASICS Engineering, and is focused on end-to-end technical ownership of FPGA-based emulation platforms, associated build flows, and system-level debugging for next-generation wireless products. This is a hands-on technical position that also includes cross-site leadership, mentoring, and ongoing improvement of emulation platforms and methodologies.

What you will do

• Deliver FPGA-based emulation solutions using commercial platforms such as FPGA prototyping, Veloce, and Palladium.
• Own and improve emulation build processes, including synthesis, place and route, constraints, clocking, and timing closure.
• Perform system-level debugging with waveforms, instrumentation, and content-level analysis to support SoC bring-up.
• Contribute to the bring-up of new FPGA emulation and prototyping hardware and software.
• Work closely with design, validation, software, and CAD teams across global locations.
• Engage with EDA vendors and represent the team in cross-functional and executive-level technical discussions.
• Guide and mentor junior engineers while providing technical leadership.

Required background

The role calls for a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related discipline, along with 5+ years of practical experience in FPGA design, verification, emulation, or a similar area. Strong working knowledge of SystemVerilog, RTL, and HDL is essential, as is experience with AMD/Xilinx UltraScale, UltraScale+, and MPSoC devices. A solid grasp of FPGA implementation flows and timing closure is also required, together with the ability to work independently and collaborate effectively.

Preferred experience

Additional value is placed on a master’s or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or Applied Mathematics. The ideal candidate will have 8+ years of experience in pre-silicon emulation, prototyping, or silicon enablement, plus a track record of building scalable, consistent emulation and debug flows. Experience with pre-silicon SoC bring-up, low-level hardware/software debugging, JTAG, kernel debuggers, and digital debug methods is highly desirable. Knowledge of CPU and SoC architectures, including interconnects, power management, PMICs, NoC, and peripherals, is also important. C/C++ experience, Python/TCL scripting, and the ability to lead multi-site initiatives are strong advantages.

Education requirements

Required education is a bachelor’s degree in Science, Engineering, or a related field. Preferred education includes a master’s or PhD in Electronics Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or Applied Mathematics.

Location

This position is based in Cork, County Cork, Ireland. Cork is presented as a major economic centre in Ireland with a diverse international workforce and strong transport links, including access to nearly 50 international destinations through Cork Airport.

Equal opportunity and workplace policies

Qualcomm states that it is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants without regard to race, colour, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or other protected classifications. The company also notes that employees are expected to follow applicable policies and procedures, including those related to security and the protection of confidential and proprietary information, where permitted by law.

Accessibility and accommodation

Applicants who need accommodation during the hiring process due to a disability may contact Qualcomm through the provided disability accommodation contact. The company says it will support reasonable accommodations to help individuals participate in the recruitment process and maintain workplace accessibility.

Staffing agency notice

Qualcomm states that its careers site is intended only for direct job seekers. Staffing and recruiting agencies, and candidates represented by agencies, are not authorized to use the site or submit resumes on behalf of others. Unsolicited resumes or applications from agencies will not be accepted, and Qualcomm is not responsible for any related fees.

Additional information

References to years of experience are described as indicative only. Candidates with equivalent experience may still be considered if they can demonstrate the ability to perform the core duties and meet the required competencies.

Benefits and compensation

The role offers salary, stock, and performance-related bonus, along with maternity/paternity leave, an employee stock purchase scheme, a matching pension scheme, education assistance, relocation and immigration support where needed, life/medical/income/travel insurance, subsidised physical and mental well-being memberships, a bicycle purchase scheme, and employee-run clubs such as running, football, chess, badminton, and more.

Keywords

FPGA, emulation, CAD, EDA, digital design.