FPGA Design & Firmware Engineer, Staff

Qualcomm

Confirmed live today High trust

Quick summary

Work type
On-site
Location
San Diego, CA
Salary
$145,600–$218,400 / yr
Posted
11 days ago
Freshness
Confirmed live today
Closes
Apr 14, 2027

Market check

Salary context

Competitive pay

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $186k
This role $182k
$136k $235k
below market most similar roles pay here above market

This role pays less than 53% of similar roles. Most pay $158,825–$214,000 — the blue band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $182k versus about $186k for comparable roles.

Based on 240 similar postings.

Employer

About Qualcomm

Qualcomm is a leading American semiconductor and telecommunications company based in San Diego, CA.

Qualcomm currently has 575 open roles on FindRole.

Listed pay typically runs $147,900–$221,900 across 550 roles with salary data.

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At a glance

TL;DR · FPGA Design & Firmware Engineer, Staff

JOB TITLE: FPGA Design & Firmware Engineer, Staff The FPGA Design & Firmware Engineer, Staff joins the Global CAD team to develop advanced FPGA-based emulation and prototyping solutions for next-generation IoT, mobile, compute, and data center platforms. This individual contributor role involves designing, implementing, and debugging FPGA RTL and firmware for custom platforms. Key responsibilities include contributing to system architecture, HW/SW partitioning, and high-speed interface integration. The engineer will utilize SystemVerilog, Verilog, C++, and Python alongside AMD/Xilinx and Intel toolchains like Vivado and Quartus. Candidates must handle complex designs involving clock-domain crossings, timing closure, and PCIe or SerDes connectivity. The role also explores applying AI/ML techniques to hardware design flows. Expertise in modern platforms like UltraScale+, Versal, or Stratix is required to solve complex system-level problems in large-scale multi-FPGA systems.

What you'll do

  • Design, implement, integrate, and debug FPGA RTL and firmware for custom emulation and prototyping platforms.
  • Develop FPGA solutions using industry-standard AMD/Xilinx and Intel technologies and toolchains.
  • Contribute to system architecture, HW/SW partitioning, and FPGA implementation strategies.
  • Manage complex designs involving clock/reset architecture, clock-domain crossings, and timing closure.
  • Design and integrate high-speed interfaces including PCIe, MGT/SerDes, and LVDS-based connectivity.
  • Develop and integrate embedded software and firmware supporting FPGA-based systems.
  • Improve FPGA tools, methodologies, and automation through continuous development and AI/ML techniques.

What we're looking for

  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field.
  • 5+ years of professional experience in FPGA design, FPGA firmware, RTL development, or related digital hardware development.
  • Strong hands-on experience with SystemVerilog/Verilog and RTL/HDL design.
  • Experience with modern FPGA platforms such as AMD/Xilinx UltraScale+, MPSoC, Versal, Intel Stratix, or Agilex.
  • Experience with FPGA development tools such as AMD Vivado or Intel Quartus.
  • Master's or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Applied Mathematics, or a related technical field (preferred).
  • Experience with clock-domain crossing (CDC), high-speed designs, clock/reset architecture, FPGA implementation, and timing closure (preferred).
  • Hands-on programming experience with C++ and Python (preferred).

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