CPU Performance Engineer

Job Title

CPU Performance Engineer

Role Summary

Perform performance analysis for Snapdragon CPU subsystems for mobile and portable computers within the ASICS Engineering team. The role focuses on characterizing CPU behavior, identifying performance bottlenecks, and validating performance across hardware and software stacks.

Collaborate with architecture, firmware, and software teams to drive measurable performance improvements and support performance verification on hardware, simulators, or emulators.

Experience Level

Entry through Staff level; suitable for early-career to senior candidates. See Education Requirements for degree-plus-years guidance.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include:

• Analyze CPU microarchitecture performance and identify bottlenecks in mobile/portable product subsystems.
• Characterize benchmark workloads and interpret performance counters and traces.
• Develop and run simulations or emulations to verify performance hypotheses.
• Automate data collection and analysis using C/C++ and scripting languages.
• Work with architecture, verification, firmware, and software teams to isolate and resolve performance issues.

Requirements

Must-have skills and experience:

• Strong knowledge of in-order and out-of-order CPU microarchitecture.
• Familiarity with ARM bus protocols and DDR subsystem behavior.
• Proficient in C/C++ and scripting for analysis and tooling.
• Hands-on experience in performance analysis, validation, or verification workflows.
• Experience with simulators, emulators, or other performance verification tools.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience in benchmark workload characterization and bottleneck analysis.
• Familiarity with ARMv8/v9 architecture, OS/firmware/software stacks, and GCC/LLVM toolchains.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Science, Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field. Minimum experience requirements noted in the posting: Bachelor's plus 4+ years, Master's plus 3+ years, or PhD plus 2+ years of ASIC design, verification, validation, integration, or related work experience. Equivalent practical experience may be considered.

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.