FPGA Development Tools Engineer

FPGA Development Tools Engineer

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.

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.

Qualifications:

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

Preferred Qualifications

• 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:

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, religious creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military and veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by local law, regulation, or ordinance.