CPU Post-Silicon Power and Performance Engineer, Senior/Staff

Job Title

CPU Post-Silicon Power and Performance Engineer, Senior/Staff

Role Summary

Work on characterization, analysis, debugging, and optimization of CPU technologies within complex SoC platforms. Develop and execute validation methodologies and experiments, analyze silicon behavior, and deliver actionable recommendations to architecture, design, and product teams.

Collaborate across hardware and software domains, using laboratory instrumentation, automation, and data analysis to ensure silicon meets performance, power, and product objectives.

Experience Level

Senior level — typically 5+ years in post-silicon validation, CPU characterization, power/performance analysis, or related fields.

Responsibilities

Responsible for planning and executing post-silicon power and performance validation for CPU and SoC subsystems, and for delivering technical findings that influence product and architecture decisions.

• Define and execute end-to-end power, performance, and characterization plans for CPU and SoC subsystems.
• Develop measurement methodologies and experiments across a range of workloads and operating conditions.
• Debug performance, marginality, and power miscorrelations between silicon and pre-silicon projections.
• Analyze interactions between CPU microarchitecture, memory hierarchy, interconnects, firmware, OS, and platform components.
• Process, sanitize, analyze, and interpret large datasets to produce engineering insights and recommendations.
• Collaborate with architecture, design, verification, firmware, and software teams to improve products and methodologies.
• Drive continuous improvements in validation methodologies, tooling, and automation.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience; nice-to-have items listed separately.

• Must-have: 5+ years of relevant experience in post-silicon validation, CPU characterization, or power/performance analysis.
• Must-have: Strong understanding of modern CPU microarchitectures (out-of-order execution, speculation, memory hierarchies, caching) and system-level performance behavior.
• Must-have: Solid semiconductor fundamentals, including transistor behavior, leakage, dynamic power, voltage-frequency relationships, and process variation.
• Must-have: Strong programming and scripting skills (Python, C/C++ or similar) for automation, instrumentation, and data analysis.
• Must-have: Hands-on experience with laboratory equipment (oscilloscopes, multimeters, power supplies, DAQs, logic analyzers) and automated measurement systems.
• Must-have: Strong analytical, data-quality assessment, anomaly detection, and root-cause analysis skills.
• Must-have: Excellent communication, collaboration, and ability to drive investigations independently.
• Nice-to-have: Knowledge of ARM architectures and related ecosystem technologies.
• Nice-to-have: Experience collecting and interpreting large volumes of silicon telemetry or measurement data at scale.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline. Qualcomm lists degree-plus-experience combinations: Bachelor's +4 years, Master's +3 years, or PhD +2 years in ASIC design/verification/validation/integration or related work; equivalent practical experience will also 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.