Senior, CPU Architecture & Performance Research Engineer

About the role

Architecture Research Lab is seeking a Senior CPU Architecture & Performance Engineer to contribute to performance analysis and microarchitectural optimization of current and next-generation CPU (RISC-V) cores. This role emphasizes hands-on analysis, modeling, and close collaboration with architects and design teams to improve performance across real-world workloads.

Responsibilities

• Execute well-defined performance studies, identify bottlenecks, and help translate architectural ideas into measurable performance gains.
• Run architectural simulations and analyze results (IPC, CPI stacks, latency and throughput metrics).
• Identify performance bottlenecks in frontend, execution engine, or memory subsystems.
• Assist in evaluating design trade-offs using trace-driven or cycle-accurate models.
• Characterize workloads and benchmarks (SPEC, server, client, internal traces).
• Develop scripts and tools to automate performance analysis.
• Work leading to patents and publication.

Requirements

• Master’s, or PhD in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field.
• 2+ years of experience in CPU microarchitecture and/or performance engineering.
• Strong understanding of: Out-of-order execution, branch prediction, pipelines, and speculation; Cache coherence, memory systems, prefetching, and NUMA effects; Hands-on experience with architectural simulators (like gem5); Strong programming skills in C/C++ and Python; Experience analyzing large performance datasets and traces; Familiarity with compiler optimizations and hardware/software co-design.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with RISC-V, ARM or X86 architectures.
• Background in power/performance/area (PPA) trade-off analysis.
• Familiarity with SIMD / Vectors / VME for AI inference workloads.
• Prior tapeout / patent / publication experience.

Qualifications

• Master’s, or PhD in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field.
• 2+ years of experience in CPU microarchitecture and/or performance engineering.
• Strong understanding of: Out-of-order execution, branch prediction, pipelines, and speculation; Cache coherence, memory systems, prefetching, and NUMA effects; Hands-on experience with architectural simulators (like gem5); Strong programming skills in C/C++ and Python; Experience analyzing large performance datasets and traces; Familiarity with compiler optimizations and hardware/software co-design.

Benefits

We offer a comprehensive benefits package including medical/dental/vision coverage, a 401(k) plan, and a charitable giving match. We also provide time off, family support, emotional wellness resources, and flexibility options. We strive to create an inclusive environment where all individuals feel valued and empowered to excel.