Principal EDA R&D Engineer
NVIDIA is hiring a Principal EDA R&D Engineer in Santa Clara, United States. It pays $232k-$368k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on NVIDIA.
Level's read on this job
- Builds AI ●●●● is how Level rates this role: the job is building AI systems.
- Tools and skills the posting cites include LangChain, CrewAI and AutoGen.
- Level classifies it as a lead role.
- Level lists 2,700+ other open roles at NVIDIA.
AI in this role
NVIDIA is seeking an experienced Principal EDA R&D Engineer to pioneer the next generation of Hardware Formal Verification tools!
In this position, you will lead research, architecture, and development of core formal verification engines improved by Agentic AI frameworks. You will craft collaborative, autonomous AI agent networks to extend formal tools. These tools will automatically break down large builds, coordinate solver strategies, synthesize complex properties, and debug execution traces at an unmatched scale. This role requires deep algorithmic knowledge, rigorous industrial software engineering, and a strong record of producing production-grade EDA tools.
What you'll be doing:
Architect, construct, and advance brand new formal verification algorithms (e.g., Model Checking, SAT/SMT solvers, BDDs, Equivalence Checking, and Theorem Proving).
Design, develop, and deploy multi-agent AI systems (using LLMs, Reinforcement Learning, and Graph Neural Networks) that autonomously analyze RTL topologies, partition large design spaces, and dynamically tune solver parameters.
Develop intelligent orchestration layers where autonomous AI agents collaborate to bypass state-space explosion, handling multi-billion-gate builds and deep sequential depth.
Develop intelligent engines capable of handling ingestion, abstraction, and the automatic generation of complex System Verilog Assertions (SVA) from natural language specifications and architectural intent.
Drive features from initial algorithmic research through implementation in high-performance C/C++ environments, ensuring seamless integration into commercial EDA tool suites.
What we need to see:
Ph.D. or Master’s degree or equivalent experience in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related quantitative field.
Minimum of 15 years of professional R&D experience specifically building commercial or advanced academic Electronic Design Automation (EDA) hardware verification tools.
Deep mathematical and hands-on understanding of formal methods, including bounded model checking (BMC), unbounded model checking (PDR/IC3), abstract interpretation, and theorem proving.
Expert-level proficiency in C/C++ (Modern C++17/20) passionate about high-performance data structures, memory optimization, and multi-threading.
Proven experience building or researching Agentic AI pipelines, multi-agent frameworks (e.g., LangChain, AutoGen, CrewAI), tool-use execution, and prompt-engineering tailored to structured code or hardware descriptions.
Experience with RTL languages (System Verilog, VHDL, Verilog) combined with solid understanding of System Verilog Assertions (SVA).
Ways to stand out from the crowd:
To distinguish yourself, demonstrate a flawless track record of successfully deploying world-class EDA solutions in high-stakes environments. Showcase any ambitious projects where you have carefully established innovative answers to complex verification challenges. Highlight experiences that reflect your ability to compete at the highest level and deliver outstanding results.
Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and other objective job-related factors. The expected base salary range for this position is 232,000 USD – 368,000 USD.You will also be eligible for equity and benefits.
Applications for this job will be accepted at least until November 3, 2026.This posting is for an existing vacancy.
NVIDIA uses AI tools in its recruiting processes.
NVIDIA is committed to fostering an inclusive work environment and proud to be an equal opportunity employer. As we highly value diversity in our current and future employees, we do not discriminate (including in our hiring and promotion practices) on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status or any other characteristic protected by law.How we rate this
Principal EDA R&D Engineer at NVIDIA rates 89 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Builds AI (AI Level 4 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.
Builds AI. The job is building AI systems.
- ●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
- ●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
- ●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
- ●○○○ Little AI0 to 39
Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Read the description and count the AI tools, models and workflows it names.
Prepare for this job
Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.
Skills and AI tools this role asks for
Questions you could be asked
- How do you decide when an AI agent can act on its own versus asking for approval first?
- Walk me through how you've used LangChain in your day-to-day work.
- What are the limits of CrewAI that you've run into, and how did you work around them?
- What's a project where you used AutoGen hands-on?
- How would you decide a model or AI system is ready to ship?
Adapt your resume
- List these exact terms on your resume: AI agents, LangChain, CrewAI, and AutoGen. An applicant tracking system matches the wording, not the idea.
- Attach one line of real, concrete experience to at least one of them. A tool named with nothing behind it rarely survives a human read.
- Lead with what you built, trained or shipped. This role is judged on the AI system itself, not the tools around it.
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