CPU Server Physical Design Engineer
QualcommJob Title
CPU Server Physical Design Engineer
Role Summary
Design and verify CPU physical implementation for server-class processors, focusing on performance, power, and manufacturability. Work within the CPU engineering team and collaborate with architecture, RTL, verification, EDA, and validation teams to take features from architecture through silicon.
Experience Level
Entry-level / Early Career. Typical minimums in this posting: Bachelor’s + 2 years relevant engineering experience, Master’s + 1 year, or PhD.
Responsibilities
The role is responsible for applying physical design and microarchitecture knowledge to deliver CPU designs that meet performance, power, and timing targets.
- Develop and verify high-performance, low-power CPU physical designs (floorplanning, placement, routing, timing closure).
- Analyze trade-offs across performance, power, area, and functionality; drive design decisions with cross-functional teams.
- Identify and resolve design problems to ensure functional completeness and manufacturability.
- Support the design flow from architecture and pre-silicon verification through post-silicon validation.
- Produce technical documentation: feature descriptions, architectural notes, verification test plans, and implementation details.
Requirements
Core technical skills and practical experience required or strongly preferred. Degrees and formal education details are summarized separately in Education Requirements below.
- Must-have: Practical engineering experience in hardware/system design, RTL, or related engineering roles (entry-level expectations per posting).
- Must-have: Experience with RTL simulators and waveform debugging (e.g., Verilog, VHDL) and with creating functional models, checkers, or test plans.
- Must-have: Proficiency in high-level programming and scripting (e.g., C/C++, Python, Perl) for tooling, testbench, or automation tasks.
- Must-have: Experience with industry EDA flows and tools for synthesis, placement, routing, timing signoff, and design verification.
- Must-have: Experience in simulation, emulation, formal verification, or silicon validation.
- Must-have: Effective verbal and written communication skills and experience working in cross-functional or matrixed organizations.
- Nice-to-have / Preferred: Specific experience with high-performance microprocessor design and server-class CPU projects.
- Nice-to-have / Preferred: Familiarity with waveform debugging tools and advanced verification methodologies; prior ASIC/CPU silicon bring-up experience.
Education Requirements
Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field is stated. The posting allows equivalent practical experience in lieu of a listed degree (e.g., Bachelor's + 2 years, Master's + 1 year, or PhD). Certifications were not specified.
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.
