CPU Micro-architect/RTL Designer
QualcommJob Title
CPU Micro-architect/RTL Designer
Role Summary
Design and deliver CPU micro-architecture and RTL for high-performance, low-power systems. Work with architects and cross-functional teams to perform architectural exploration, produce detailed microarchitectural specifications, implement and refine RTL, and support verification and physical design to meet power, performance, area and timing targets.
Experience Level
Senior — typical experience expectations: 8+ years with a Bachelor's, 7+ years with a Master’s, or 6+ years with a PhD (see Education Requirements for details).
Responsibilities
Owned technical responsibilities for CPU microarchitecture and RTL delivery.
- Perform architectural and performance exploration with CPU modeling teams.
- Develop microarchitecture concepts and produce detailed specifications from early exploration to final design.
- Implement, assess and refine RTL to meet power, performance, area and timing goals.
- Support functional verification efforts and collaborate with verification teams on strategy and execution.
- Support performance verification to ensure RTL meets performance targets.
- Collaborate with multi-functional teams to implement and validate physical design aspects (timing, area, reliability, testability).
Requirements
Core technical skills and experience required or strongly preferred.
- Deep knowledge of microprocessor architecture (instruction fetch/decode, branch prediction, scheduling/renaming, out-of-order execution, integer/FPU execution, load/store, prefetching, caches/memory subsystems).
- Proven RTL experience using Verilog and/or VHDL; experience with simulators and waveform debugging tools.
- Strong understanding of digital logic design, timing and power implications.
- Experience with low-power microarchitecture techniques and high-performance CPU design trade-offs.
- Experience with performance modeling and verification methodologies.
- Familiarity with scripting languages such as Python or Perl for tooling and automation.
Education Requirements
Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field with 8+ years of relevant engineering experience; OR Master’s degree in those fields with 7+ years of relevant experience; OR PhD in those fields with 6+ years of relevant experience. Related technical work experience may substitute where described.
About the Company
Company: Qualcomm
Headquarters: San Diego, California, United States
Qualcomm is a global leader in semiconductor and telecommunications equipment, specializing in mobile technologies and innovations. Known for its Adreno GPUs, the company provides solutions enabling advancements in mobile gaming, AI, VR/AR, and autonomous driving. Qualcomm's cutting-edge technology and commitment to high-performance, power-efficient designs drive the evolution of mobile graphics and connectivity worldwide.
