Senior Design Engineer SoC & Coherency Verification Engineer in RTL, CHI & Embedded C

Job Location: Barcelona, Spain

Work Authorization: Visa sponsorship if required is provided

Job Title: Senior Design Engineer SoC & Coherency Verification Engineer (RTL + CHI + Embedded C)

About the Role

We are looking for a highly skilled SoC Design & Verification Engineer with strong expertise in RTL development, AMBA CHI protocol, coherency architecture, and embedded C/firmware integration. This is a hybrid role spanning front-end RTL design, interconnect coherency validation, and system-level bring-up.

You will contribute to next-generation SoC platforms, working across microarchitecture, RTL implementation, protocol verification, and hardware-software co-design.

Key Responsibilities

1. RTL Design & Microarchitecture

• Design and implement high-quality RTL (Verilog/SystemVerilog) for SoC components
• Develop microarchitecture specifications for interconnects, memory subsystems, and cache controllers
• Work on high-performance, low-power designs with timing and area optimization
• Integrate IPs into complex SoC subsystems

2. CHI / Coherency Design & Verification

• Design and verify AMBA CHI (Coherent Hub Interface) based interconnects
• Develop deep understanding of:
• Cache coherency protocols (MESI/MOESI)
• Snoop, data transfer, and ordering rules
• Build test plans and verification strategies for coherency validation
• Debug complex cache coherency issues at RTL and system level
• Ensure protocol compliance and performance tuning

3. SoC Integration

• Integrate multiple IP blocks (CPU, GPU, memory controllers, interconnects)
• Work on SoC-level architecture and subsystem design
• Handle clock/reset, power domains, and interconnect fabrics
• Collaborate with physical design teams for timing closure and synthesis

4. Coherency Verification Engineering

• Develop UVM-based verification environments
• Write SystemVerilog testbenches, assertions, and checkers
• Perform:
• Functional verification
• Coverage-driven verification
• Regression and debug
• Analyze waveform/debug tools for root-cause analysis

5. Embedded C / Firmware Integration

• Develop embedded C firmware for:
• Hardware bring-up
• Feature validation
• Debugging SoC behavior
• Work on bare-metal / low-level drivers
• Enable hardware-software co-validation
• Debug system issues using firmware + RTL insights

6. PCB / PCS Exposure (Nice-to-Have / System Level)

• Basic understanding of PCB design constraints and signal integrity
• Familiarity with Physical Coding Sublayer (PCS) concepts (e.g., SERDES, Ethernet PHY interface)
• Collaborate with hardware teams for board-level bring-up and validation

Required Skills & Qualifications

Core Technical Skills

• Strong RTL design experience in:
• Verilog / SystemVerilog
• Deep knowledge of:
• AMBA protocols (AXI / ACE / CHI)
• Cache coherency protocols (MESI/MOESI)
• Experience in SoC design and integration

Verification Skills

• Expertise in:
• UVM methodology
• Functional and assertion-based verification
• Experience with:
• Coverage analysis
• Debugging complex RTL issues

Embedded / Firmware

• Strong programming skills in Embedded C
• Experience with:
• Low-level drivers
• Hardware bring-up
• Register-level programming

Tools & Technologies

• Simulation: VCS, Xcelium, Questa
• Debug: Verdi, DVE
• Scripting: Python / Shell / Perl
• Version control: Git

Good to Have

• Experience with ARM-based SoCs
• Exposure to NoC (Network-on-Chip) architectures
• Knowledge of high-speed interfaces (PCIe, Ethernet, SERDES)
• Understanding of DFT concepts
• Exposure to FPGA prototyping/emulation

Experience

• 5–15 years of experience in SoC design / verification

Education

• B.Tech / M.Tech in Electronics, Electrical, Computer Engineering, or related field

Key Competencies

• Strong debugging and analytical skills
• Ability to work across design + verification + firmware layers
• Excellent collaboration with cross-functional teams
• Ownership mindset for complex silicon programs

Renumeration range:

€50,000–€1,00,000 (Yearly)

€30–€50 (Hourly)

What do we offer Flexible work schedules, competitive pay, a highly learning environment, and opportunities for advancement.