Expert Hardware / RTL Engineer – SystemVerilog / Verilog

A leading AI research organization is evaluating how advanced AI systems perform in specialized engineering domains and is seeking experienced hardware engineers with deep RTL expertise in SystemVerilog and/or Verilog.

This role focuses on assessing complex real-world hardware engineering scenarios and helping shape how advanced AI systems perform in hardware design and verification tasks.

Engineers with expertise in either SystemVerilog or Verilog are encouraged to apply.

What You'll Do

• Apply RTL engineering expertise to evaluate technical tasks against real-world industry standards

• Review complex code-level scenarios and provide structured technical assessments

• Work within containerized development environments using:

  • Docker
  • Repository-based workflows
  • Automated validation tools
  • CI-style checks

• Interpret engineering environments and determine technical correctness

• Provide clear written explanations supporting technical judgments

• Complete structured tasks with defined evaluation criteria and timelines

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional or research experience with:

  • SystemVerilog
  • Verilog

• Hands-on experience in one or more of:

  • RTL design
  • Testbench development
  • UVM verification
  • FPGA development
  • ASIC design

• Experience with industry-standard EDA toolchains such as:

  • Vivado
  • Quartus
  • Synopsys tools
  • Cadence tools

• Ability to work within:

  • Linux environments
  • Docker-based repositories
  • Automated testing and CI workflows

• Strong written communication skills

• Ability to explain not only what code does, but why it is technically correct and follows best practices

Preferred Backgrounds

Applicants may come from:

• Semiconductor companies
• Telecommunications organizations
• Defense and aerospace industries
• National laboratories
• Academic research environments

A public GitHub profile is not required.

Why This Work Matters

RTL design is foundational to modern semiconductor development yet remains significantly underrepresented in AI research.

Your expertise will directly influence how future AI systems learn to understand and operate within advanced hardware engineering environments.

Engagement Details

• Compensation: $110–190/hour depending on expertise and experience
• Expected commitment: 20–40 hours per week

Work Availability

Task volume may fluctuate over time and work often arrives in batches.

Ideal contributors are:

• Flexible with scheduling
• Comfortable supporting occasional weekend work
• Able to take ownership of task completion and project momentum

Additional Notes

• No proprietary employer systems are required
• Tasks can be completed using standard tools and environments

Contract & Payment Terms

• Independent contractor engagement
• Fully remote work
• Flexible schedule
• Projects may be extended, shortened, or concluded based on project needs and performance
• Weekly payments through Stripe or Wise

Important Note

Mercor currently cannot support:

• H1-B candidates
• STEM OPT candidates

About Mercor

Mercor partners with leading AI labs and enterprises to train and evaluate frontier AI systems using real-world human expertise.

Contributors work directly on projects helping shape the next generation of AI technologies.