Silicon Design Verification Engineer

Overview


Responsibilities

• Develop C and C++ based test content, low-level drivers, and custom firmware at the subsystem and SoC levels, including self-checking tests that run on embedded processors.
• Extend the compile and build flow to support custom firmware-style tests.
• Serve as a technical owner for the team's FPGA prototyping platforms (such as HAPS or Xilinx): create board images and bit files. Design additional custom FPGA RTL for protocol interfaces and feature enablement. Release stable platforms to the firmware team and keep them working as the design evolves.
• Develop and extend custom python tooling to interface with the FPGA platform.
• Debug FPGA and post-silicon issues using tools such as JTAG debuggers, logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, and multimeters
• Drive post-silicon bring-up and validation in the lab: run the validation suites on first silicon, meet bring-up exit criteria on schedule, and debug platform issues such as JTAG failures, UART connectivity, and boot failures alongside the design, firmware, hardware, and security teams.
• Root-cause failing post-silicon tests to closure, collecting and analyzing scan dumps for low-level issues such as boot ROM and built-in self-test bugs, coordinating cross-team debug, and delivering fixes such as handling fatal errors, correcting driver access violations, and reconciling registers modified by boot firmware.

Qualifications

Required/minimum qualifications

• Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field AND 1+ year(s) technical engineering experience OR Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field AND 2+ years technical engineering experience OR equivalent experience.

Other Requirements

• Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings: Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft Cloud Background Check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.
• This role will require access to information that is controlled for export under export control regulations, potentially under the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations or Export Administration Regulations, the EU Dual Use Regulation, and/or other export control regulations.  As a condition of employment, the successful candidate will be required to provide either proof of their country of citizenship or proof of their US. residency or other protected status (e.g., under 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)) for assessment of eligibility to access the export-controlled information. To meet this legal requirement, and as a condition of employment, the successful candidate’s citizenship will be verified with a valid passport. Lawful permanent residents, refugees, and asylees may verify status using other documents, where applicable.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience developing C and C++ test content for subsystem and SoC verification, including bare-metal and firmware-style tests, with working knowledge of SystemVerilog testbenches.

• Experience bringing up and maintaining FPGA prototyping or emulation platforms (such as HAPS or Xilinx), including board images, platform tooling, and testbench changes that enable firmware and validation teams.
• Hands-on hardware debug experience with tools such as JTAG debuggers, logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, and multimeters
• Experience owning pre-silicon verification of IP, subsystems, or SoCs through the full cycle, including test planning, test development, failure debug, and coverage signoff.
• Experience with post-silicon bring-up and validation, including running test suites on silicon and debugging boot, platform, and connectivity issues in a lab environment.
• Proficiency in Python, or a similar scripting language such as Perl or Ruby, for test automation, build flows, and log or data parsing.
• In-depth knowledge of verification principles, testbench architecture, and stimulus generation, with a track record of debugging complex designs.
• Experience with low-level and embedded software, including assembly, startup code, linker scripts, and Makefile-based build flows.
• Familiarity with industry protocols such as AMBA (AXI/AHB/APB), JTAG, SPI, I2C/I3C, and USB.
• Experience collaborating across architecture, design, firmware, and validation teams, with strong communication skills.
• Understanding of silicon and/or computer architecture.

Silicon Engineering IC3 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $102,100 - $202,200 per year. There is a different range applicable to specific work locations, within the San Francisco Bay area and New York City metropolitan area, and the base pay range for this role in those locations is USD $133,800 - $219,200 per year.

Certain roles may be eligible for benefits and other compensation. Find additional benefits and pay information here:
https://careers.microsoft.com/us/en/us-corporate-pay

This position will be open for a minimum of 5 days, with applications accepted on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

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Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.