What does a digital design engineer do?
A digital design engineer is responsible for developing technology solutions to create digital content and improve its marketing factors in various media platforms. Digital design engineers research the current trends in the technology industry to provide timely deliverables according to business requirements and client specifications. They also identify cost-efficient techniques and resources for outputs and ensure that the product maintains or exceeds high-quality standards. A digital design engineer must have excellent communication and technical skills to navigate different network platforms and assess the feasibility of every design.
Digital design engineer responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real digital design engineer resumes:
- Manage DSP communication applications and algorithms for cellular base stations and cable modems.
- Perform EMI debugging and validate system to achieve compliance certification for both FCC and CE marks.
- Perform back-end flow from RTL code synthesis, timing driven physical design to achieve a timing closure type-out database.
- Design and build digital, analog, and RF circuitry for digital circuit test equipment
- Incorporate the knowledge of the end-to-end ASIC design flow from RTL to GDSII file generation.
- Redesign a parameter encoder ASIC (600k gates , 0.35u), performing VHDL updates to a largely schematic-base design.
- Task include system architecture design/simulation, system implementation, verification and timing analysis.
- Execute RTL design, block-level verification for various blocks and system-level verification, and silicon validation.
- Design software automation using PERL.
- Perform schematic capture in Altium.
- Enter circuit board schematics in Altium design tool.
- Improve MTBF and design quality of several PCB designs.
- Develop a Perl and XML base register generation tool.
- Experience in design and development of firmware for memory controller IP.
- Create and organize a new AutoCAD standards system for the company.
Digital design engineer skills and personality traits
We calculated that 12% of Digital Design Engineers are proficient in Digital Design, Synthesis, and Verilog. They’re also known for soft skills such as Initiative, Math skills, and Speaking skills.
We break down the percentage of Digital Design Engineers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Digital Design, 12%
Worked in a product group as a digital design engineer in the development of a high function typewriter.
- Synthesis, 8%
Generated and optimized synthesis and Post CTS constraints to maximize performance and reduce area requirements.
- Verilog, 5%
Developed complete Verilog engineer training program, including lecture and laboratory work.
- RTL, 4%
Executed RTL design, block-level verification for various blocks and system-level verification, and silicon validation.
- SOC, 4%
Worked with SoC architects to redefine and redesign high-speed embedded Flash read interfaces.
- RF, 4%
Worked closely with RF, software and systems teams to define requirements and to successfully integrate designs in lab.
"digital design," "synthesis," and "verilog" are among the most common skills that digital design engineers use at work. You can find even more digital design engineer responsibilities below, including:
Initiative. The most essential soft skill for a digital design engineer to carry out their responsibilities is initiative. This skill is important for the role because "electrical and electronics engineers must apply their knowledge to new tasks in every project they undertake." Additionally, a digital design engineer resume shows how their duties depend on initiative: "acted as an expert for product development process initiative. "
Math skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling digital design engineer duties is math skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "electrical and electronics engineers must use the principles of calculus and other advanced math in order to analyze, design, and troubleshoot equipment." According to a digital design engineer resume, here's how digital design engineers can utilize math skills in their job responsibilities: "developed code in mathlab to experience with dsp projects such as digital filter fft, interpolation, upsampling and downsampling. "
Speaking skills. This is an important skill for digital design engineers to perform their duties. For an example of how digital design engineer responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "electrical and electronics engineers work closely with other engineers and technicians." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a digital design engineer: "represented design team with the asic vendor and the internal software team. ".
Writing skills. A big part of what digital design engineers do relies on "writing skills." You can see how essential it is to digital design engineer responsibilities because "electrical and electronics engineers develop technical publications related to equipment they develop, including maintenance manuals, operation manuals, parts lists, product proposals, and design methods documents." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical digital design engineer tasks: "work involved modifying the rtl and writing new test cases for the verification. "
The three companies that hire the most digital design engineers are:
- Deloitte38 digital design engineers jobs
- Texas Instruments23 digital design engineers jobs
- Apple11 digital design engineers jobs
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Compare different digital design engineers
Digital design engineer vs. Engineering trainee
An engineering trainee is responsible for shadowing engineers in their duties and performing administrative tasks as needed. Engineering trainees assist the engineers in inspecting construction sites and conducting field research. They also identify cost-efficient materials and resources that meet quality standards and client specifications. An engineering trainee must have excellent communication and organizational skills, especially in writing reports, attending meetings, and ensuring that all reports are submitted for management's reviews, such as contracts from suppliers and vendors.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, digital design engineer responsibilities require skills like "digital design," "synthesis," "rtl," and "soc." Meanwhile a typical engineering trainee has skills in areas such as "excellent interpersonal," "fire protection," "technical support," and "r." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Engineering trainees tend to make the most money working in the energy industry, where they earn an average salary of $63,253. In contrast, digital design engineers make the biggest average salary, $110,580, in the automotive industry.The education levels that engineering trainees earn slightly differ from digital design engineers. In particular, engineering trainees are 8.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a digital design engineer. Additionally, they're 1.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Digital design engineer vs. Senior pcb designer
A telecommunication engineer is responsible for installing, testing, and repairing telecommunication systems including mobile telephone networks and fiber optic and digital satellite systems. Your day-to-day duties include diagnosing and troubleshooting systems faults, installing static and mobile antennae on masts and buildings, and designing, developing, and testing telecommunications equipment and components. As a telecommunication engineer, you are also required to provide guidance and support to telecommunication installers to ensure quality. You are also responsible for providing recommendations to upgrade outdated equipment.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that digital design engineer responsibilities requires skills like "digital design," "synthesis," "verilog," and "rtl." But a senior pcb designer might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "schematic capture," "pcb layout," "cadence allegro," and "circuit board design."
In general, senior pcb designers achieve lower levels of education than digital design engineers. They're 23.4% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 1.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Digital design engineer vs. Telecommunication engineer
A Project Controls Engineer creates project cost reports and progress charts. These professionals interpret the company contract and deal with the existing cost control database and financial risk. Project Controls Engineers reconcile and organize the project cost information with the clients' status reports. Also, they evaluate cash flow reports and project cost reports prepared by CMA.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from digital design engineer resumes include skills like "digital design," "synthesis," "verilog," and "rtl," whereas a telecommunication engineer is more likely to list skills in "telecommunication," "voip," "switches," and "fiber optic. "
Telecommunication engineers earn the highest salary when working in the finance industry, where they receive an average salary of $102,087. Comparatively, digital design engineers have the highest earning potential in the automotive industry, with an average salary of $110,580.When it comes to education, telecommunication engineers tend to earn lower degree levels compared to digital design engineers. In fact, they're 12.1% less likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.6% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Digital design engineer vs. Project controls engineer
Types of digital design engineer
Updated January 8, 2025
