CPU Server Physical Design Engineer
QualcommJob Title
CPU Server Physical Design Engineer
Role Summary
Work on physical implementation and verification of high-performance, low-power server CPU designs within the CPU Engineering team. Collaborate with architecture, RTL, verification and silicon teams to deliver multi-core CPU subsystems from pre-silicon through productization.
Experience Level
Mid-level. Preferred: significant experience in high-performance microprocessor design (typically 6+ years).
Responsibilities
Key responsibilities include hands-on physical design work, cross-functional collaboration, and technical leadership.
- Develop and verify high-performance, low-power CPU physical designs.
- Analyze architecture, microarchitecture, logic, circuits and physical implementation trade-offs.
- Identify and solve complex issues to meet functionality, power, timing and performance targets.
- Collaborate with architecture, RTL, verification, and silicon teams to define requirements and trade-offs.
- Evaluate and improve the design flow from concept through pre-silicon verification and post-silicon validation.
- Produce technical documentation: feature descriptions, architectural descriptions, verification plans, and implementation details.
- Provide guidance to team members and interact with senior leadership as required.
Requirements
Core technical skills and practical experience required; preferred items listed separately.
- Must-have: Strong knowledge of computer architecture, microarchitecture, logic design, circuits, and physical design flows.
- Must-have: Hands-on experience with synthesis, place-and-route, and design verification tools.
- Must-have: Experience with simulation, emulation, formal verification, or silicon validation and with waveform/debugging tools (e.g., Verilog/VHDL simulators).
- Must-have: Proficiency in C/C++ and scripting languages such as Python or Perl.
- Must-have: Experience creating functional models, checkers, test plans, and test generation.
- Must-have: Ability to work in a large matrixed organization and communicate effectively with technical and senior leadership.
- Nice-to-have: Prior experience specifically in server CPU physical design, timing closure, clocking, or methodology/automation for physical design.
Education Requirements
Degrees mentioned in the source: Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field. The posting specifies degree-plus-experience combinations (e.g., Bachelor's +4 years, Master's +3 years, PhD +2 years) and also allows equivalent related work experience. A Master's is listed as preferred.
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.
