Virtual Platform R&D Engineer

Join imec’s center of excellence for hardware-software-technology co-design to architect and design the future of technology-aware compute systems.

Compute System Architecture (CSA) is a center of excellence at imec for hardware-software-technology co-design for future compute systems. We work in close collaboration with other expertise centers in imec specializing in applications, technology, circuits and design to innovate and pathfind next-generation compute system architectures across multiple domains – AI, HPC, Automotive, Space, and more. CSA has presence in 6 centers of IMEC, in Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, UK, USA and Qatar. This position is primarily for Leuven, Belgium.

We are looking for a Virtual Platform R&D Engineer to develop, enable, and maintain our baseline platform across functional models, RTL prototyping, and simulation environments. This role sits at the intersection of compute architecture, system software, and system modeling. 

What you will do

• Develop and maintain virtual platforms across both simulated, and hardware-prototyping environments. 
• Support workload mapping and enable functional models bring-up on various execution platforms such as: QEMU, gem5, RTL, FGPA. 
• Contribute to performance and functional validation across abstraction levels (ISA → RTL → FPGA). 
• Build system models that represent novel compute architectures, while balancing accuracy, execution speed, and ease of use. 
• Evaluate new architectural features, translating architectural concepts into executable platforms. 
• Contribute to project definitions and the technical scope of work (timeline, work packages, milestones, deliverables) in cooperation with senior members, if needed.  
• Supervise or assist in mentoring students when necessary. 

What we do for you

We offer you the opportunity to join one of the world’s premier research centers in nanotechnology at its headquarters in Leuven, Belgium. With your talent, passion and expertise, you’ll become part of a team that makes the impossible possible. Together, we shape the technology that will determine the society of tomorrow.

We are committed to being an inclusive employer and proud of our open, multicultural, and informal working environment with ample possibilities to take initiative and show responsibility. We commit to supporting and guiding you in this process; not only with words but also with tangible actions. Through imec.academy, 'our corporate university', we actively invest in your development to further your technical and personal growth. 

We are aware that your valuable contribution makes imec a top player in its field. Your energy and commitment are therefore appreciated by means of a market appropriate salary with many fringe benefits. 

Who you are

• You hold a Master’s or PhD in Electrical/Electronics/Computer Engineering/Science or other relevant domains with hands-on compute architecture systems.  
• You are passionate about computer architecture and system-level design, with a solid understanding of modern compute and memory systems, and SoC components. 
• You have a strong background in embedded systems, including toolchains (GCC/LLVM), RTOS (e.g., Zephyr), and low-level debugging. 
• You are proficient in C/C++, in bash and Python scripting. 
• You are a hands-on engineer who enjoys bringing systems to life. 
• You have experience in RISC-V-based system architecture.  
• You are open-minded, and flexible in accommodating changing priorities to support business needs.  
• You are a team player, as you will be part of a dynamic and distributed team. 
• You are fluent in English and you have strong communication skills, enabling effective collaboration across a multicultural team.