Principal SOC Modeling Engineer

Job Title

Principal SOC Modeling Engineer

Role Summary

The Principal SOC Modeling Engineer will design, implement and maintain high-performance software models and virtual platforms of Arm-based systems to enable early software development and system validation before silicon availability. The role sits within the Fast Models team in Software (CE-SW) and works closely with hardware architects, RTL designers and software teams across global engineering groups.

Experience Level

Senior — minimum 15–20 years of proven experience in software engineering and SoC/IP modelling.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities focus on creating accurate, performant software representations of hardware IP and integrating them into system-level simulations.

• Develop, test and maintain high-performance functional models of CPUs, system IP and platform components using C++ and SystemC.
• Build virtual platforms representing complete reference platforms to enable firmware, OS and application development before silicon.
• Collaborate with hardware architects and RTL designers to translate specifications into behavioral models.
• Integrate multiple IP models to create scalable system-level simulations and virtual platforms.
• Work with software engineering and open-source teams to enable software bring-up and diagnose system-level issues.
• Optimize model performance, debugging workflows and testing infrastructure.
• Participate in planning and execution of development roadmaps with global project teams and managers.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience required for the role, followed by desirable skills.

• Must-have: 15–20 years of relevant experience in software engineering and SoC/IP modelling.
• Strong C and C++ programming skills; experience developing large-scale software systems.
• Experience in SoC or IP modelling using C++, SystemC, or TLM.
• Good understanding of computer architecture, microarchitecture and SoC design concepts.
• Proven experience with debugging, testing and performance optimization for simulation models.
• Experience with version control systems such as Git and Gerrit.
• Familiarity with RISC-based architectures and CPU instruction sets.
• Ability to work independently and within distributed global teams; strong written and spoken English.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with Programmer’s View (PV) modelling and SystemC TLM-2.0 methodologies.
• Knowledge of Arm architecture or Arm system IP (CPU, interconnects, GIC, SMMU, etc.).
• Experience building SoC virtual platforms or full-system simulators.
• Background in low-level software, firmware, bare-metal programming or device drivers.
• Experience supporting large-scale multi-site software projects.

Education Requirements

Not specified.

About the Company

Company: Arm

Headquarters: Cambridge, United Kingdom

ARM is a global leader in semiconductor and software design, driving innovation in computing technology. The company specializes in designing processors and systems that provide the essential building blocks for electronic devices. ARM's architecture is widely used in smartphones, servers, and IoT devices, and its collaborative culture fosters bold thinking, diversity, and high-impact benefits for its talented workforce.