Emulation Lead/Principal Engineer

Role Overview

Build the platform that brings silicon to life before tapeout.

TYLsemi is developing purpose-built connectivity chiplet for HPC/rack-scale AI systems. We are seeking a Principal Engineer Emulation Lead to create scalable pre-silicon environments that enable firmware, software, and system validation months before first silicon arrives. You'll build production-grade platforms that boot real software, run meaningful workloads, expose system bottlenecks, and accelerate product readiness across the organization.

What You'll Do

• Architect and deploy full-chip, multi-die, and subsystem emulation environments using Palladium, ZeBu, Veloce, or similar platforms.

• Enable pre-silicon bring-up of boot ROM, firmware, drivers, operating systems, and application workloads.

• Develop scalable emulation methodologies and reusable infrastructure, 

• Drive system-level validation, performance analysis, and root-cause debug across RTL, firmware, software, and verification.

• Build automation, CI/CD workflows, regressions, and release processes that scale across engineering teams.

• Partner with architecture, design, verification, firmware, DFT, and post-silicon teams to reduce product risk before tapeout.

• Influence methodology, observability, debugability, and overall silicon readiness.

• Lead complex debug spanning RTL, firmware, software, and hardware platforms.

• Mentor engineers and influence architecture to improve observability, diagnosability, and product quality.

What We're Looking For

• 10+ years of ASIC/SoC development experience with significant emulation ownership.
• Expertise with commercial emulation platforms (Palladium, ZeBu, or Veloce).
• Strong RTL skills in Verilog/SystemVerilog.
• Experience with firmware bring-up, embedded processors, interrupts, and system debug.
• Proficiency in C/C++ and scripting with Python.
• Excellent cross-functional debugging and technical leadership skills.
• Proven track record leading complex verification and emulation programs.

Good to Have

• Ethernet, PCIe, CXL or high-speed interconnects.
• FPGA prototyping (Protium, HAPS, etc.).
• Security architectures, Root of Trust, and secure boot.
• First-silicon bring-up and system qualification experience.

Success in This Role Looks Like

• The emulation platform reliably boots target firmware/OS and runs representative workloads well ahead of tapeout, giving firmware and software teams real hardware behavior months earlier than post-silicon would allow.
• Emulation infrastructure (CI/CD, regressions, release process) is stable enough that other engineering teams can self-serve without heavy hand-holding.
• Cross-functional debug cycles (RTL/firmware/software) shrink because observability and diagnosability were built into the platform, not bolted on after issues surface.
• Design and firmware teams treat the emulation lead as a trusted escalation point for hard-to-reproduce, cross-domain bugs.

Compensation

The compensation range shown below represents total target cash compensation and includes both base salary and target bonus. Actual compensation will vary based on factors such as experience, skills, qualifications, job level, and work location.

In addition to cash compensation, this position is eligible for equity in the form of stock options, giving you the opportunity to share in the Company’s long-term growth and success.