Principal CPU Microarchitect - RISC-V & AI Compute
TenstorrentJob Title
Principal CPU Microarchitect - RISC-V & AI Compute
Role Summary
Join the Tensix team to lead CPU microarchitecture for a scalable RISC-V–centered AI compute platform. You will define microarchitectural direction, drive custom ISA features, and validate designs against real-world AI workloads to meet aggressive performance, power, and area targets.
This role is hybrid and based out of Toronto, ON; Austin, TX; or Santa Clara, CA.
Experience Level
Senior — expected 10+ years of experience in CPU performance modeling and microarchitecture design; candidates will be assessed during the interview process to confirm level.
Responsibilities
The role focuses on architecture, workload analysis, and cross-functional co-design to deliver high-performance RISC-V CPU cores for AI.
- Analyze modern AI workloads (especially LLMs) to identify execution and memory bottlenecks and derive concrete CPU requirements.
- Lead microarchitecture design for high-performance RISC-V cores targeting aggressive PPA (performance, power, area) goals.
- Design and validate custom instruction set extensions to accelerate AI workloads while preserving compiler programmability.
- Develop and use performance models and simulations to evaluate architectural trade-offs and quantify gains.
- Collaborate closely with compiler, software, and hardware teams to co-design end-to-end solutions and ensure real-world performance.
- Translate workload insights into measurable architecture specifications and implementation plans.
Requirements
Core qualifications and desirable skills for the role. Must-have items are listed first.
- Must-have: 10+ years of deep microarchitecture and CPU performance modeling experience.
- Must-have: Proven experience with microarchitecture design for high-performance cores and trade-off analysis across performance, power, and area.
- Must-have: Strong understanding of AI workload characteristics and bottlenecks, particularly for large language models.
- Must-have: Experience designing or specifying instruction set extensions and validating their impact on real workloads and compilers.
- Must-have: Track record of cross-functional collaboration with compiler and software teams to deliver hardware-software co-designed solutions.
- Must-have: Ability to create and use performance models and simulations to drive architectural decisions.
- Must-have: Employment may be contingent on eligibility to access U.S. export-controlled technology; candidates may need citizenship, permanent residency, or prior license approval.
- Nice-to-have: Familiarity with open-source RISC-V cores and toolchains.
- Nice-to-have: Experience with AI-based agentic workflows or related AI engineering practices.
Education Requirements
Not specified.
About the Company
Company: Tenstorrent
Headquarters: Austin, Texas, United States
Tenstorrent is a technology company focused on designing innovative computing solutions. They are known for their expertise in the development of advanced hardware, including ASICs and SoCs, aimed at enhancing performance and efficiency in various applications.
