Microsoft

Principal Silicon Design Verification Engineer

Microsoft • $142K — $274K *
Hillsboro, OR 97124In-Person
Telecommunications & Hardware
Less than 5 years of experience
Today
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Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Doctorate in Electrical/Computer Engineering or Computer Science with 3+ years of experience, or equivalent education and experience levels spanning Master's to Bachelor's degrees with respective years of experience.
  • Ability to pass Microsoft security screenings and comply with export control regulations, requiring citizenship or residency verification.
  • Experience developing tests in C/C++ and familiarity with SystemVerilog and UVM for subsystem and SoC verification.
  • Proficiency in scripting languages like Python, Ruby, or Perl is preferred.
  • Hands-on hardware debug experience with tools such as JTAG debuggers and oscilloscopes.

Responsibilities

  • Own the development of test content in C and C++ for subsystems and SoCs.
  • Build and maintain the C test infrastructure including low-level drivers and build flow.
  • Oversee pre-silicon verification strategy and execution for security IP blocks and their SoC integration.
  • Architect SystemVerilog and UVM environments that connect embedded test code to testbenches.
  • Drive coverage signoff across functional, code, and power-aware metrics, closing gaps in test plans.
  • Act as verification lead and point of contact for milestone delivery, ensuring adherence to schedules.
  • Mentor less experienced engineers, establishing verification best practices and reviewing test plans.

Benefits

  • Access to comprehensive health insurance and retirement plans.
  • Flexible working hours and opportunities for remote work.
  • Professional development support, including training and certifications.
  • Generous vacation policy and public holiday observances.
Full Job Description
Responsibilities
  • Own the development of C and C++ based test content at the subsystem and SoC levels, including bare-metal bring-up code, directed and constrained-random test sequences, and self-checking tests that exercise complex multi-IP flows such as secure boot, key and fuse management, and processor and bus interactions.
  • Build and maintain the C test infrastructure that the broader team relies on, including startup code, low-level drivers, register access layers, and the build flow (Makefiles, linker scripts, and toolchain setup) needed to compile and run firmware-style tests against the design.
  • Own the pre-silicon verification strategy and execution for one or more security IP blocks and subsystems and their integration into the SoC, covering test planning, environment architecture, and signoff criteria from early design through tapeout and silicon bring-up.
  • Architect and extend SystemVerilog and UVM environments that host C-based stimulus, connecting embedded test code to the testbench so processor-driven and stimulus-driven scenarios run together.
  • Drive coverage signoff across functional, code, and power-aware coverage. Set goals, investigate and close gaps without unjustified exclusions, and apply constrained-random, formal, and gate-level techniques to find bugs and prove test plan completeness.
  • Act as verification lead and technical point of contact for customer and partner teams, owning milestone delivery at both the IP and SoC levels, keeping releases on schedule.
  • Mentor and guide less experienced engineers by reviewing test plans, C and SystemVerilog code, debug work, onboarding new team members, and establishing verification best practices the broader team can reuse.
  • Improve verification efficiency by building reference and prediction models, automation, and debug tooling in Python and other scripting languages, and by correlating pre-silicon C test results with FPGA prototyping platforms to accelerate firmware bring-up and post-silicon validation.


Qualifications

Required/minimum qualifications
  • Doctorate in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field AND 3+ years technical engineering experience OR Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field AND 6+ years technical engineering experience OR Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field AND 8+ years technical engineering experience OR equivalent experience.


Other Qualifications:

  • 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:
  • Doctorate in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field AND 5+ years technical engineering experience OR Master's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field AND 8+ years technical engineering experience OR Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field AND 12+ years technical engineering experience OR equivalent experience.
  • Experience developing tests in C/C++, SystemVerilog, and UVM, with emphasis on C/C++ test content for subsystem and SoC verification.
  • Experience leading pre-silicon verification of IP, subsystems, and SoCs through the full cycle, including SoC-level testbench development, test planning, and coverage signoff.
  • In-depth knowledge of verification principles, testbench architecture, and stimulus generation, with a track record of debugging complex designs.
  • Experience directing and mentoring individual engineers.
  • Experience collaborating across architecture, design, block-level DV, and firmware teams to execute functional verification, with communication skills.
  • Understanding of silicon and/or computer architecture.
  • Proficiency in a scripting language such as Python, Ruby, or Perl.
  • Experience with emulation, FPGA prototyping (such as HAPS or Xilinx), RTL design for FPGA or emulation, or post-silicon validation.
  • Experience with assembly, startup code, linker scripts, and Makefile-based build flows for software development.
  • Familiarity with industry protocols such as AMBA (AXI/AHB/APB), JTAG, SPI, I2C/I3C, or USB.
  • Hands-on hardware debug experience with tools such as JTAG debuggers, logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, and multimeters.


Silicon Engineering IC5 - The typical base pay range for this role across the U.S. is USD $142,800 - $274,800 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 $188,000 - $304,200 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.

About Microsoft

Microsoft is an American multinational corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, supports, and sells a range of software products and services. Microsoft’s devices and consumer (D&C) licensing segment licenses the Windows operating system and related software, Microsoft Office for consumers, and the Windows Phone operating system. The company’s computing and gaming hardware segment provides Xbox gaming and entertainment consoles and accessories, second-party and third-party video games, and Xbox Live subscriptions; surface devices and accessories; and Microsoft PC accessories. Its phone hardware segment offers Lumia smartphones and other non-Lumia phones. Its D&C segment provides Windows Store, Xbox Live transactions, and Windows phone store; search advertising; display advertising; Office 365 Home and Office 365 Personal; first-party video games; and other consumer products and services as well as operating retail stores. Microsoft’s commercial licensing segments license server products, including Windows Server, Microsoft SQL Server, Visual Studio, System Center, and related Client Access Licenses (CALs); Windows Embedded; Windows operating system; Microsoft Office for business, including Office, Exchange, SharePoint, Lync, and related CALs; Microsoft Dynamics business solutions; and Skype. Its commercial segment offers enterprise services, including premier support services and Microsoft consulting services; commercial cloud comprising Office 365 Commercial, other Microsoft Office online offerings, Dynamics CRM Online, and Microsoft Azure; and other commercial products and online services. The company markets and distributes its products through original equipment manufacturers, distributors, and resellers, as well as online.

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Learn more about Microsoft
Size
181,000 employees
Market Cap
$1,762.4 billion
Industry
Enterprise Technology
Net Income
$51.3 billion
Founded
1975
5 Year Trend
+15.5%
Revenue
$153.2 billion
NASDAQ
MSFT
* Ladders Estimates

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