CPU Performance – Staff Microarchitecture Engineer

Job Title

CPU Performance – Staff Microarchitecture Engineer

Role Summary

Join Arm’s CPU Performance team to define microarchitecture for next-generation Cortex-X and Neoverse CPUs. The role focuses on developing performance models, evaluating microarchitectural innovations, and guiding design trade-offs across architecture, design, and performance analysis.

Experience Level

Senior - 8+ years of experience in CPU/system microarchitecture development, performance modeling, or workload analysis.

Responsibilities

Accountable for defining and validating high-performance CPU microarchitecture and for translating analysis into actionable design decisions.

• Define and design next-generation CPU microarchitecture with targets for performance, power, and area.
• Propose and evaluate microarchitectural innovations using cycle-accurate and functional simulators.
• Develop and refine performance models and correlate simulation results with measurements.
• Analyze workloads to identify sensitivities and guide design choices.
• Estimate performance, power, and area impacts to support design trade-offs.
• Partner with CPU design teams to integrate and validate architectural innovations.
• Engage with ecosystem partners to capture performance requirements and present technical findings.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to improving team methodologies, tools, and workflows.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience for successful performance in this role.

• Minimum: 8 years of demonstrated experience in CPU/system microarchitecture development, performance modeling, or workload analysis.
• Proven expertise in high-performance CPU microarchitecture and design trade-offs.
• Deep understanding of performance, power, and area trade-offs and how they affect implementation.
• Hands-on experience with cycle-accurate simulators and performance modeling infrastructure.
• Strong analytical and debugging skills across complex systems.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to present complex concepts to diverse audiences.

Nice-to-have:

• Track record of taking microarchitectural ideas from concept through implementation.
• Familiarity with modern software engineering practices and performance profiling; programming in C++, Python, or similar.
• Experience interacting directly with customers or partners to gather requirements and present findings.

Education Requirements

Preferred academic background in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or Computer Engineering. The posting does not specify a required degree level or mention equivalent-experience language.

About the Company

Company: Arm

Headquarters: Cambridge, United Kingdom

ARM is a global leader in semiconductor and software design, driving innovation in computing technology. The company specializes in designing processors and systems that provide the essential building blocks for electronic devices. ARM's architecture is widely used in smartphones, servers, and IoT devices, and its collaborative culture fosters bold thinking, diversity, and high-impact benefits for its talented workforce.