CPU Post-Silicon Performance Engineer

Job Title

CPU Post-Silicon Performance Engineer

Role Summary

Join the CPU Silicon Bringup Team to prepare for and execute CPU bring-up and validation on new SoCs using Qualcomm custom CPUs, from first silicon through productization. Work cross-functionally with CPU design, verification, SoC bring-up, firmware and software teams to enable stable, performant silicon.

Pay range: $147,900 - $221,900 USD yearly.

Experience Level

Mid-level. The posting requests approximately 3+ years in silicon validation/bring-up (with examples of 5+ years experience for some degree levels).

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include planning, validating, debugging, and improving CPU bring-up and performance validation processes.

• Develop CPU bring-up and validation test plans with CPU design and verification teams.
• Prepare for bring-up using emulation and FPGA platforms.
• Coordinate with SoC bring-up, firmware, and software teams to plan validation activities.
• Triage and debug failures observed on silicon; reproduce failures on emulators and FPGAs.
• Develop test content and testing strategies for CPU validation on silicon.
• Recommend and help architect debug features to improve future CPU bring-ups.

Requirements

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

• 3+ years of silicon validation and bring-up experience (posting references 3+ and higher depending on degree).
• Experience triaging and debugging silicon issues; ability to reproduce silicon failures on emulators/FPGAs.
• Experience with embedded firmware development in assembly and C/C++.
• Familiarity with toolchains: assemblers, C compilers, Makefiles, and source control systems.
• Experience preparing test content and validation strategies; comfortable working with cross-functional teams.
• Experience with emulation and FPGA platforms for pre-silicon validation.
• Strong problem-solving and cross-team communication skills for issue resolution.

Nice-to-have (preferred): performance analysis experience (server workloads, SPEC INT/FLOAT, DC perf), CPU/cache/NoC/memory and DDR performance analysis, thermal and sustained-performance analysis, DCVS/frequency/power correlation, benchmark regression debugging, and correlation between emulation/reference design and silicon.

Education Requirements

Degrees expected: Bachelor's (BA/BS) in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering or related field; alternative qualifications listed include Master’s degree (EE/CE/CS) with reduced experience, or PhD in the same fields. The posting allows equivalent related work experience in lieu of or in addition to degree specifications.

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.