FPGA ENGINEER SKILLS, EXPERIENCE, AND JOB REQUIREMENTS

Published: Mar 27, 2025 – The FPGA Engineer has extensive experience in FPGA design, implementation, and optimization for timing, power, and performance using Verilog and System Verilog. This role requires proficiency in Intel and Xilinx FPGAs, modern ASIC/FPGA design tools, scripting languages like Python, and embedded software development in C/C++. The engineer also has strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a proven track record in designing, testing, and delivering high-performance FPGA solutions.

Essential Hard and Soft Skills for a Standout FPGA Engineer Resume
  • FPGA Development
  • Signal Processing
  • System Integration
  • VHDL Coding
  • Digital Verification
  • Low-Latency Design
  • Video Encoding
  • Timing Optimization
  • Xilinx FPGA
  • Hardware Deployment
  • Project Understanding
  • Team Collaboration
  • Software Interaction
  • Firmware Coordination
  • Research Support
  • Prototyping Plans
  • Technical Proposals
  • Project Leadership
  • Problem Solving
  • Communication Skills

Summary of FPGA Engineer Knowledge and Qualifications on Resume

1. BS in Hardware Engineering with 4 years of Experience

  • Experience as a designer of FPGAs or ICs
  • Experience with VHDL/RTL Design
  • Experience with Verification (SV/SVA)
  • Experience with board design (e.g., PCBs) 
  • Broad technical knowledge of digital IPs (Firmware building blocks)
  • Experience with programming cores NIOS II/ARM’s in C
  • Experience with Altera/Xilinx Design Flow
  • Decision-making and problem-solving skills
  • Excellent interpersonal skills - both written and oral communications, ability to interface with customers and technical representatives
  • Good teamwork skills, together with the ability to interface with others at all levels
  • Ability to work simultaneously on a variety of projects

2. BS in Embedded Systems Engineering with 6 years of Experience

  • Solid understanding of Quartus/Vivado tools
  • Experience in high-speed digital design
  • Experience with FPGA design flow, including simulation, synthesis, place and route, and timing
  • Experience in Verilog /SystemVerilog
  • Physical Design experience with an understanding of Quartus/Vivado
  • Experience in PCIe, 100G I/F Ethernet technologies
  • Experience with timing constraint definitions. System clocks, false and multicycle timing paths, etc.
  • Good communication with teammates
  • Able to bring up an entire P&R environment from scratch to suit design needs
  • Enable advanced, groundbreaking P&R flows and methodologies
  • Experience with Intel Stratix 10 and Xilinx UltraScale+ FPGA technologies
  • Experience in PCIe, 100G I/F Ethernet technologies
  • Working knowledge of Perforce

3. BS in Computer Engineering with 5 years of Experience

  • Experience doing modern HDL design (VHDL/SystemVerilog)
  • Positive experience working within a collaborative, distributed team environment
  • Solid understanding of FPGA synthesis tools (Vivado/Quartus) and details such as pin planning, clock crossing, and timing closure
  • Solid understanding of hardware testing and debugging techniques
  • Knowledgeable in the different resources and primitives available in the target FPGA technology
  • Understanding of complexity analysis for trades in the algorithm area and performance
  • Highly skilled in using and implementing low-level protocols such as AXI4, AXI4-streaming, SPI, etc.
  • Understand how/when to use vendor-provided IP cores
  • Experience working with GIT
  • Good written and verbal communication skills, able to communicate complex algorithms and methods both verbally and in documentation
  • Proven ability to deliver solutions under pressure and tight timescales

4. BS in Electrical Engineering with 7 years of Experience

  • HDL simulation/verification experience targeting SystemVerilog
  • Familiarity with industry-standard HDL simulation tools
  • Knowledgeable in various modern high-level synthesis (HLS) techniques, and understands the trade-offs associated with using HLS in a complex team project
  • Working knowledge of MATLAB/Simulink, Python, or C++
  • Experience developing HDL-based Ethernet networking algorithms
  • Knowledge of signal processing, optical communications, or forward-error correction algorithms
  • Understanding of hardware-software interfaces
  • Understanding of and experience using test-driven development (TDD)
  • Previous experience in the aerospace or defense industries
  • Experience preparing and executing integration test procedures and supporting integration into a larger system architecture
  • Understanding of quality assurance methodologies and best practices for high-reliability systems for space-flight applications
  • Good teamwork skills, together with the ability to interface with others at all levels
  • Possesses good communication skills 

5. BS in Digital Systems Design with 8 years of Experience

  • Design verification experience in either FPGAs or ASICs
  • Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills
  • Ability to collaborate, communicate, and work in a team environment.
  • Knowledge of simulation tools, i.e., VCS, DVE.
  • OOP, UVM, and System Verilog experience.
  • Verification flow enhancements using a scripting language such as Python.
  • Experience integrating vendor-provided VIPs in UVM testbench
  • Experience with AXI4 and AXI4-Stream
  • Experience with PCI-Express
  • Experience with Networking protocols, i.e., Ethernet, IP, TCP/UDP
  • Self-motivated, quick learner, and excellent analytical skills
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Strong teamwork and interpersonal skills
  • Must be flexible, adaptable, and eager to push technical boundaries

6. BS in Telecommunications Engineering with 5 years of Experience

  • Experience working in emulation and silicon environments.
  • Experience in Emulation environments for pre-silicon prototyping
  • Working experience in debugging low-level software and hardware issues
  • Working knowledge of debug tools, including JTAG and kernel debuggers
  • Experience with CPU and SoC architectures
  • Basic understanding of power and performance
  • Experience programming in C
  • Experience with pre-silicon enabling and bringing
  • Understanding of coherency and concurrency in modern SoC architectures
  • Experience in the validation and debugging of digital circuits
  • Proficient in Python, TCL.
  • Proven ability to work independently and think creatively to solve problems

7. BS in Automation Engineering with 4 years of Experience

  • Familiarity with additional HDL programming languages (e.g., Verilog, VHDL)
  • Experience with FPGA/ASIC simulation tools (e.g. ModelSim) and revision control (e.g. SVN, Git)
  • Experience with Xilinx FPGAs and development tools
  • Proficiency with System Verilog HDL
  • Self-driven with the ability to excel in a high-energy, small, focused team environment
  • Maintain a strong sense of shared responsibility and shared reward, and make work fun and interesting
  • Passion for details in creating robust and reliable logic designed for mission-critical applications
  • Familiarity with the full product development lifecycle, including concept development, design, implementation, debugging, verification, qualification, and transfer to manufacturing
  • Excellent communication, documentation, and interpersonal skills
  • Experience with scripting languages like JavaScript and Python
  • Able to manage multiple technical responsibilities simultaneously

8. BS in FPGA Design with 6 years of Experience

  • Experience with Verilog RTL and behavioral modeling.
  • Experience with Linux-based development environments.
  • Experience working in the development of Xilinx FPGAs using Vivado.
  • Experience in design simulation using Questa/Modelsim.
  • Experience with video standards and data formats Experience with streaming video image processing.
  • Experience with FPGA implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Inference.
  • Experience with Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN).
  • Experience with AXI and AXI Streaming interfaces.
  • Experience working with VHDL.
  • Experience with System Verilog and UVM.
  • Experience with ASIC design and verification.
  • Ability to communicate ideas and concepts effectively in spoken and written English within a technical environment
  • Excellent time management, including the ability to prioritize conflicting tasks appropriately

9. BS in Computational Science with 5 years of Experience

  • Experience with VHDL and/or Verilog
  • Experience with Xilinx or Altera/Intel tools and platforms
  • Experience with Mentor Modelsim or other simulation tools and verification/validation flows
  • Ability to read and interpret data sheets
  • Experience with scripting languages like Python or Tcl
  • Practical/hands-on experience with the integration of firmware, software, and hardware
  • Experience with technical coaching of junior designers
  • Experience with HLS (Catapult, Vivado HLS, etc)
  • Experience working with SystemC
  • Experience in the medical, automotive, consumer, or semiconductor industry
  • A curious and connecting attitude, with which you always try to improve yourself and your products
  • Good communication and writing skills in English (preferably Dutch)

10. BS in Signal Processing with 3 years of Experience

  • Proven experience with complex, computer-based embedded FPGA development.
  • Experience with writing VHDL for a high clock frequency system
  • Experience with firmware for System-on-Chip (SoC) FPGA devices
  • Working experience in software/firmware-intensive complex systems
  • Experience working in system engineering of complex computer-based systems
  • Working with digital signal processing systems
  • Experience with the full engineering lifecycle for complex systems
  • Experience with C/C++ and Python
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
  • The ability and motivation to learn new things.
  • Must be an excellent team player.

11. BS in Microelectronics Engineering with 8 years of Experience

  • Experience in FPGA design and implementation
  • Experience with standard Verilog and familiarity with System Verilog RTL coding
  • Record of success in the design, test, delivery, and support of multiple FPGAs shipping to customers
  • Experience with Intel and Xilinx FPGAs
  • Experience with modern ASIC/FPGA design and verification tools
  • Experience with uArchitecture, RTL coding, FPGA optimization for timing & power, simulation, and validation
  • Experience with scripting languages - Python or equivalent
  • Embedded software experience in C/C++ or equivalent
  • Fundamental Verilog skills and familiarity with System Verilog.
  • Good analytical and problem-solving skills
  • Excellent communication skills and demonstrate the desire to tackle diverse challenges.
  • Skill set to enable the Optimization of FPGA designs for area, speed, and power to meet system requirements, analyze architectural trade-offs, and understand Pipelining.
Relevant Information
FPGA Design Engineer Skills, Experience, and Job Requirements
Senior FPGA Design Engineer Skills, Experience, and Job Requirements