Job Title Emulation Build Engineer Summary We are seeking an Emulation Build Engineer to own the end-to-end process of building, compiling, and validating RTL design models targeting hardware emulation and prototyping platforms — specifically

Cadence Palladium ,

Cadence Protium , and/or

Synopsys ZeBu . You will be the critical bridge between RTL design teams and validation/software teams, ensuring that high-quality, synthesizable emulation models are delivered on schedule to enable early firmware development, hardware-software co-verification, and system-level validation.

Key Responsibilities Emulation Model Build & Compilation

Build, compile, and optimize

RTL-to-gate/behavioral models

targeting Palladium, Protium, and/or ZeBu emulation platforms

Own the

emulation build flow

from RTL ingestion through synthesis, partitioning, mapping, place-and-route, and bitstream/image generation

Resolve synthesis and compilation errors including

unresolved modules, black-box instantiation, clock/reset inference, memory mapping , and multi-driver conflicts

Implement and maintain

RTL waivers, workarounds, and design abstraction

(memory wrappers, analog stubs, IP replacements) to achieve clean compilations

Optimize build configurations for

compile time, resource utilization, emulation speed (MHz), and capacity

across target platforms

Manage

incremental and hierarchical build strategies

to reduce turnaround time for design iterations

Support

multi-domain and multi-clock

designs with proper clock modeling and domain crossing handling

Model Validation & Quality

Validate emulation models through

sanity tests, boot tests,



and golden-reference comparisons

against RTL simulation

Ensure functional equivalence between RTL simulation and emulation by running correlation test suites

Debug and resolve

model mismatches

(simulation vs. emulation) due to synthesis artifacts, X-state handling, timing differences, or initialization issues

Validate

memory models, I/O interfaces, and transactor/synthesizable BFM

integration

Perform

coverage analysis

on emulation models and track model quality metrics

Maintain a regression suite for build-level validation (smoke tests, connectivity checks)

Infrastructure & Automation

Develop and maintain

automated build pipelines

(CI/CD) for nightly/weekly emulation model builds

Create scripts and tools for

build monitoring, error triage, capacity tracking , and build status reporting

Maintain

version-controlled build configurations , design collateral, and release notes

Manage

compute farm resources

(LSF/SGE/Slurm) and optimize job scheduling for emulation builds

Track and manage

platform licenses

and capacity allocation across projects

Develop dashboards and metrics for build health, turnaround time, and platform utilization

Collaboration & Support

Partner with

RTL design teams

on design readiness, coding guidelines,



and synthesizability best practices for emulation

Work with

verification/validation teams

to integrate transactors, probes, and debug infrastructure into emulation models

Collaborate with

firmware/software teams

to deliver validated models for early SW development and hardware-software co-validation

Coordinate with

EDA vendor support

(Cadence, Synopsys) for tool issues, feature requests, and platform upgrades

Support

silicon bring-up teams

with emulation-correlated debug and pre-silicon regression data

Participate in project planning to communicate build schedules, risks, and dependencies

Required Qualifications

Education:

B.S./M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field

Experience:

3–8+ years in emulation model build, FPGA prototyping, or related hardware compilation roles

Hands-on experience with one or more emulation/prototyping platforms:

Solid understanding of

RTL design constructs

and synthesizability rules (Verilog/SystemVerilog)

Experience with

logic synthesis

concepts (technology mapping, optimization, timing constraints)

Proficiency in

scripting and automation : Python, Perl, Tcl, Bash, Makefiles

Knowledge of

memory modeling

(SRAM, ROM, FIFO wrappers) and abstraction for emulation

Familiarity with

clock modeling

strategies (clock generators, clock muxes, PLLs) in emulation

Understanding of

design hierarchy, IP integration , and SoC-level build complexity

Experience with

version control

(Git, Perforce) and build management systems

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📌 Build And Release Engineer - trois-rivières (Winnipeg)
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