Microprocessor Silicon Validation and Optimization Engineer - Staff

Job Title

Microprocessor Silicon Validation and Optimization Engineer - Staff

Role Summary

Technical lead for pre-silicon and post-silicon validation and enablement of microprocessors on SoC. Work includes test development, pre-silicon verification and emulation, silicon bring-up, system characterization, customer debug support, and performance/energy optimization.

Experience Level

Senior level. Typical candidates have multiple years of microprocessor verification or silicon validation experience (often 5+ years); preferred candidates have 6+ years and prior technical leadership experience.

Responsibilities

Deliver validation and optimization across pre-silicon and silicon phases and coordinate with design and customer teams.

• Develop and execute validation tests for microprocessors and cache/memory subsystems.
• Plan and run pre-silicon verification, emulation, and silicon bring-up activities.
• Perform detailed silicon system characterization and performance/power analysis.
• Debug silicon and map issues to design/verification environments; drive root-cause analysis with design teams.
• Provide customer debug support and state updates; summarize complex silicon data for stakeholders.
• Optimize microprocessor/system behavior for target use cases (mobile, compute, AI, servers).

Requirements

Key technical skills and experience required or strongly preferred.

Must-have:

• Several years of microprocessor verification (front-end) or silicon validation experience with strong silicon engagement (typically 5+ years).
• Strong programming skills in C/C++; familiarity with assembly (ARM, DSP, i32, etc.).
• Thorough knowledge of microprocessor and cache/memory architecture and microarchitecture.
• Experience developing software/algorithms for functional validation and silicon characterization.
• Ability to map silicon scenarios to verification environments and lead root-cause debug with design teams.
• Clear technical communication skills for data analysis, interpretation, and reporting to senior stakeholders.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with architecture and design tools (≈2+ years).
• Scripting and automation experience (≈2+ years).
• Familiarity with design verification methodologies and presilicon emulation.
• Prior experience interacting with senior leadership and cross-functional program management.

Education Requirements

Degrees and equivalent experience: Bachelor's degree in science, engineering, or related field (common minimum) with ~4+ years of relevant ASIC/verification/validation experience; OR Master's degree in science/engineering or related field with ~3+ years; OR PhD with ~2+ years. Preferred fields: Electrical/Electronic Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science or related technical fields. Equivalent practical experience considered per the combinations above.

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.