FPGA Development Tools Engineer

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain FPGA development tools including synthesis, place-and-route, timing analysis, debugging, and simulation workflows
• Enhance and support Altera's FPGA software toolchain (e.g., Quartus, platform designer, and associated utilities)
• Design algorithms and data structures for performance, scalability, and correctness across large FPGA devices
• Work with hardware architects to align tool capabilities with new FPGA features and architectures
• Develop C/C++ and/or Python-based infrastructure and automation supporting FPGA design flows
• Debug complex issues across software and hardware boundaries
• Optimize compilation runtime, quality-of-results (QoR), and memory usage
• Contribute to tool usability, documentation, and customer-facing improvements
• Support internal and external users, including escalation of critical tool issues
• Participate in code reviews, design discussions, and continuous improvement initiatives
• The pay range below is for Bay Area California only. Actual salary may vary based on a number of factors including job location, job-related knowledge, skills, experiences, trainings , etc. We also offer incentive opportunities that reward employees based on individual and company performance.
• $ 113.7K - $164.7 K USD
• We use artificial intelligence to screen, assess, or select applicants for the position. Applicants must be eligible for any required U.S. export authorizations .

Requirements

• Required Qualifications
• Bachelor's or Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field
• Strong experience with FPGA design flows and development tools
• Proficiency in C/C++ (required); Python experience strongly preferred
• Solid understanding of digital logic design, timing, and hardware architecture
• Experience with HDL languages (Verilog, SystemVerilog, VHDL)
• Familiarity with synthesis, timing analysis, and place-and-route concepts
• Experience working in large, complex software codebases
• Strong problem-solving and debugging skills
• Experience developing or maintaining FPGA or EDA tools
• Knowledge of Quartus, Platform Designer, or comparable FPGA tools
• Experience with EDA algorithms (graph algorithms, optimization, constraint solving)
• Familiarity with ASIC or FPGA timing closure methodologies
• Experience with multi-threaded and high-performance software
• Knowledge of scripting (Tcl, Python) used in hardware design automation
• Experience working directly with customers or field applications teams
• Job Type:
• Regular
• Shift:
• Shift 1 (United States of America)
• Primary Location:
• San Jose, California, United States
• Additional Locations:
• Posting Statement:

Additional Information

Job Details: Job Description: Altera is seeking an FPGA Development Tools Engineer to design, develop, and enhance the next generation of FPGA software development tools. In this role, you will work on industry-leading toolchains that enable customers to efficiently design, simulate, compile, debug, and optimize FPGA-based systems. You will collaborate closely with architecture, RTL, verification, and customer-facing teams to deliver high-performance, scalable, and user-friendly FPGA development solutions.

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