Staff Software Engineer — Runtimes Performance

Job Title

Staff Software Engineer — Runtimes Performance

Role Summary

Senior performance engineer working on managed runtimes and compilers to improve performance of language workloads on Arm architectures (Java, JavaScript, Python, Rust, etc.).

Member of the CE-SW Runtimes team; collaborate with internal architecture and CPU teams and upstream open-source communities to identify bottlenecks and implement runtime and compiler improvements.

Experience Level

Senior (staff-level). Specific years of experience not specified.

Responsibilities

Deliver performance improvements in managed language runtimes and compilers and support integration with Arm architecture and CPU designs.

• Identify and implement runtime and compiler changes to improve workload performance and leverage Arm architectural features.
• Profile workloads and benchmarks to locate performance bottlenecks at system and assembly level.
• Collaborate with hardware and architecture teams to validate and influence CPU design and microarchitecture optimizations.
• Implement or tune runtime/compiler components (e.g., garbage collectors, interpreters, optimisation passes, intrinsics).
• Contribute to and engage with upstream open-source projects and communities.
• Develop and maintain automated performance testing and validation frameworks.

Requirements

Key skills and experience required and valued for the role.

• Must-have: Experience working on managed runtimes, compilers, or closely related technologies.
• Must-have: Strong programming skills in C/C++.
• Must-have: Familiarity with performance analysis tools, including analysis at assembly level.
• Must-have: Understanding of computer architecture and microarchitecture (CPU pipelines, cache hierarchies).
• Must-have: Proficiency in standard software development practices (coding, testing, debugging, code review).
• Nice-to-have: Experience with Linux performance tools and system-level tuning.
• Nice-to-have: Familiarity with one or more high-level languages such as Java, C#, Rust, Go, JavaScript, or Python.
• Nice-to-have: Experience with Agile processes, build systems, CI, and open-source contribution workflows.

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.