Samsung Semiconductor · 1 day ago
Principal, CPU Architecture & Performance Research Engineer
San Jose, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Lead/Staff
$219K/yr - $351K/yr
15+ years expSamsung Semiconductor is a global leader in technology solutions powering everyday tools such as smartphones and IoT devices. They are seeking a Principal CPU Architecture & Performance Engineer to lead the optimization of next-generation CPU microarchitectures, focusing on performance analysis and architectural requirements across various workloads.
Semiconductor
Responsibilities
Define and evaluate CPU micro-architectural features for future cores (frontend, execution engine, memory hierarchy, interconnect)
Lead performance analysis using simulators, RTL
Help develop and validate performance models (cycle-accurate, trace-driven, statistical)
Characterize workloads (SPEC, server, client, AI/ML, cloud, internal traces) and translate findings into architectural requirements
Identify performance bottlenecks and propose data-driven optimizations
Drive architecture-to-implementation alignment with design team
Collaborate with compiler, OS, and system architects on cross-stack performance issues
Mentor senior and staff engineers; provide technical leadership across projects
Work leading to patents and publication
Qualification
Required
Master's with 18+ years of experience in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field
or PhD with 15+ years of experience preferred
10+ years of experience in CPU microarchitecture and/or performance engineering
Experience with RISC-V, ARM or X86 architectures
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
Familiarity with compiler optimizations and hardware/software co-design
Familiarity with SIMD / Vectors / VME for AI inference workloads
Experience analyzing large performance datasets and traces
Proven ability (Tapeout / Patents / Publications) to influence architecture / micro architectural decisions through quantitative analysis
Preferred
Background in power/performance/area (PPA) trade-off analysis
Experience with SIMD/Vectors
Experience with compiler optimizations and hardware/software co-design
Prior technical leadership at Senior Staff or Principal level
You're inclusive, adapting your style to the situation and diverse global norms of our people
You approach challenges with curiosity and resilience, seeking data to help build understanding
You're collaborative, building relationships, humbly offering support and openly welcoming approaches
Innovative and creative, you proactively explore new ideas and adapt quickly to change
Benefits
Medical/Dental/Vision/401k
Charitable giving match
4+ weeks of paid time off a year
Holidays and sick leave
Stipend for fertility care or adoption
Medical travel support
Virtual vet care for your fur babies
On-demand apps and free confidential therapy sessions
Onsite Café and gym
Virtual classes
Flexible environment
Company
Samsung Semiconductor
Samsung Semiconductor, Inc. (SSI) is a multi-billion dollar wide range of industry-leading semiconductor solutions.
Founded in 1974San Jose, California, USA
10001+ employees
H1B Sponsorship
Samsung Semiconductor has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (130)
2024 (110)
2023 (153)
2022 (134)
2021 (124)
2020 (134)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageLeadership Team
Daehee Lee
Principal Engineer
Eric Hibbard
Director, Product Planning – Security
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