Senior Verification Engineer - Core Testbench & DV Methodology Lead

We are seeking a Senior or Principal Verification Engineer to assume ownership of our core (top-level) testbench, along with the verification methodology, tooling, and continuous integration infrastructure that support it. In this role, you will be responsible for evolving the top-level UVM environment, integrating unit-level verification IP, driving functional and code coverage closure across the core, and identifying verification gaps at the boundaries between units. You will also serve as a technical leader within the organization, contributing to the company-wide initiative to advance AI-powered verification methodology. This position requires a rigorous, detail-oriented approach to verification and the ability to provide technical guidance and mentorship to engineers across the design verification organization. Key Responsibilities • Core testbench ownership — Own, improve, and continuously evolve the top-level core testbench and its UVM environment. Extend the testsuites, and integrate all the unit-level VIPs so block-level checkers, monitors, and coverage are reused at top level. • Coverage — Own functional and code coverage at the core level: review the nightly results, drive closure across units, and audit covergroups and tests for real quality and intent. • Cross-unit gap hunting — Find and close verification holes at the boundaries between units. Reconcile assume/guarantee relationships across unit testbenches: e.g., everything one module assumes about surrounding modules, needs to be verified by surrounding modules' testbenches. • Methodology, tooling & CI — Own the verification flows (compile, coverage collection, regression) and the CI as the core RTL evolves: update compile configs, retire stale jobs, create new ones, keep regressions healthy and efficient. Drive concrete upgrades — migrate our scripts and flows to latest versions (e.g., start using Questa One and next-generation coverage, from Siemens, instead of the old flow) — and stay in regular contact with EDA vendors to keep us on the latest capabilities. • Technical leadership & mentorship — Act as the senior technical reference for core verification engineers, review block- and core-level testbench architectures, and mentor on coverage-driven and assertion-based verification. Must Have • 10+ years of hands-on design verification, including significant experience verifying processor cores (RISC-V ideally) or complex microarchitecture. • Expert SystemVerilog and UVM; building reusable, configurable, multi-agent environments and integration testbenches. • Strong functional-coverage and verification-planning skills. • Deep hands-on Questa (our primary simulator) and a debug tool such as Visualizer / Verdi; other simulators (VCS, Xcelium) a plus. • Strong Python scripting (plus Bash / Tcl) and practical ownership of verification CI/CD and regression infrastructure. • Assertion-based verification (SVA) and the ability to reason about cross-block assume/guarantee contracts. • B.Sc. or M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field. Nice to Have • RISC-V Core Verification. • Formal Verification. • Emulation platforms (Veloce, ZeBu). • Core/Bus interface protocols (e.g., AXI/CHI). Essential Soft Skills • An adversarial, gap-seeking mindset — instinctively asks "who actually checks this?" — with a strong umbrella view of the whole core. • Clear communication across DV, design, and software teams; writes verification plans others can follow. Why Semidynamics? • Work at one of Europe's most promising deep-tech semiconductor scale-ups. • Accelerated development path. • 4 days per week in the Barcelona office (city center), 1 WFH. • 1 week of work from everywhere in the world. • Competitive package. • A collaborative, technical, and growth-oriented environment that values direct ownership and clear thinking.