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Senior Staff Engineer, Performance Modeling

San Jose, California, United States

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To provide the best candidate experience with our high application volumes, we limit applications to a total of 10 over 6 months. 

Advancing the World’s Technology Together
Our technology solutions power the tools you use every day--including smartphones, electric vehicles, hyperscale data centers, IoT devices, and so much more. Here, you’ll have an opportunity to be part of a global leader whose innovative designs are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and powering the future. 

We believe innovation and growth are driven by an inclusive culture and a diverse workforce. We’re dedicated to empowering people to be their true selves. Together, we’re building a better tomorrow for our employees, customers, partners, and communities.

What You’ll Do

The APL (Advanced Processor Lab) is one of the research team's of SAIT (Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology) which is Samsung‘s R&D hub, established as the incubator for cutting-edge technologies. SAIT’s mission has covered various research areas from AI applications/algorithms research, neuromorphic processor, domain-specific accelerators to new materials, quantum computing, and super computer system.

APL is committed to shaping the future of CPU processor and SoC architecture for the most demanding applications of the future like AI and HPC. We are building the foundation of processors and the related platform which are applied to various business targets of Samsung in the future. 

We are seeking a highly experienced CPU Performance Modeling Engineer to join our CPU architecture team. The ideal candidate will have 8+ years of experience in performance modeling and simulation for CPU designs. This role involves developing and refining detailed performance models, analyzing CPU performance characteristics, and working closely with micro architects to optimize next-generation CPU designs. You will be instrumental in driving performance improvements and ensuring that our CPU architectures meet power, performance, and area (PPA) targets.

Location: Hybrid, working onsite at our San Jose office 3 days per week, with the flexibility to work remotely the remainder of your time

Job ID: 42313

  • Develop and maintain performance models for CPU cores using cycle-accurate simulation environments.
  • Collaborate with CPU architects and micro architects to define and refine CPU performance goals and metrics.
  • Analyze CPU performance bottlenecks and work closely with the design team to implement optimizations.
  • Model various CPU components, including instruction fetch, decode, execution pipelines, caches, and memory subsystems.
  • Conduct detailed performance evaluations for both single-core and multi-core architectures.
  • Investigate and model new microarchitectural features and their impact on overall CPU performance.
  • Use performance models to perform trade-off analysis of different architectural choices, including power and area considerations.
  •  Provide performance projections, validate the models against RTL simulations, and propose improvements based on findings.
  • Collaborate with compiler, software, and verification engineers to ensure design performance is aligned across all layers of development.

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What You Bring

  • Bachelors in Electrical/Computer Engineer with 15 years of relevant industry experience, or Masters in Electrical/Computer Engineer with 13 years or PhD in Electrical/Computer Engineer with 8 years preferred.
  • 8+ years of experience in CPU/GPU/DSP/AI/NoC performance modeling and simulation.
  • Expertise in building and using cycle-accurate performance models for CPU and SoC architectures.
  •  Strong understanding of microarchitecture, including pipelines, out-of-order execution, branch prediction, cache hierarchy, and memory subsystems.
  • Proficiency in using performance modeling tools and simulators (e.g., gem5, Sniper, or custom modeling tools).
  • Solid understanding of CPU instruction sets (e.g., x86, ARM, RISC-V) and their impact on performance.
  • Hands-on experience in C/C++, SystemC programming and scripting languages such as Python, Perl, or TCL for model development and automation.
  • Experience analyzing performance using trace-driven simulation, benchmarking, and performance counters.
  • Familiarity with power and area modeling, and understanding how design choices affect performance trade-offs.
  • Proven ability to debug and optimize complex performance models and validate against hardware designs.

Preferred Skills:

Experience with RISC-V or other CPU architectures.

  • Knowledge of high-performance computing (HPC) workloads and parallelism.
  • Experience with multi-threading and multi-core CPU performance modeling.
  • Familiarity with low-power design techniques and their impact on CPU performance.
  • Understanding of hardware-software interaction and its influence on CPU performance.
  • You’re inclusive, adapting your style to the situation and diverse global norms of our people. 
  • An avid learner, 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.

#LI-SF1

What We Offer
The pay range below is for all roles at this level across all US locations and functions. Individual pay rates depend on a number of factors—including the role’s function and location, as well as the individual’s knowledge, skills, experience, education, and training. We also offer incentive opportunities that reward employees based on individual and company performance. 

This is in addition to our diverse package of benefits centered around the wellbeing of our employees and their loved ones. In addition to the usual Medical/Dental/Vision/401k, our inclusive rewards plan empowers our people to care for their whole selves. An investment in your future is an investment in ours.

Give Back With a charitable giving match and frequent opportunities to get involved, we take an active role in supporting the community.
Enjoy Time Away You’ll start with 4+ weeks of paid time off a year, plus holidays and sick leave, to rest and recharge.
Care for Family Whatever family means to you, we want to support you along the way—including a stipend for fertility care or adoption, medical travel support, and an errand service.
Prioritize Emotional Wellness With on-demand apps and paid therapy sessions, you’ll have support no matter where you are.
Stay Fit Eating well and being active are important parts of a healthy life. Our onsite Café and gym, plus virtual classes, make it easier.
Embrace Flexibility Benefits are best when you have the space to use them. That’s why we facilitate a flexible environment so you can find the right balance for you.

Base Pay Range

$177,100 - $282,900 USD

Equal Opportunity Employment Policy 

Samsung Semiconductor takes pride in being an equal opportunity workplace dedicated to fostering an environment where all individuals feel valued and empowered to excel, regardless of race, religion, color, age, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, ancestry, genetic information, marital status, national origin, political affiliation, or veteran status.

When selecting team members, we prioritize talent and qualities such as humility, kindness, and dedication. We extend comprehensive accommodations throughout our recruiting processes for candidates with disabilities, long-term conditions, neurodivergent individuals, or those requiring pregnancy-related support. All candidates scheduled for an interview will receive guidance on requesting accommodations.

Recruiting Agency Policy

We do not accept unsolicited resumes. Only authorized recruitment agencies that have a current and valid agreement with Samsung Semiconductor, Inc. are permitted to submit resumes for any job openings.

Covid-19 Policy
To help keep our employees, customers, and communities safe, we’ve developed guidelines for our teams. Currently, we encourage vaccination for all employees and may require it depending on job functions (e.g., traveling for business, meeting with customers). While visiting our offices or attending team events, we ask employees to complete a daily health questionnaire and complete a weekly COVID test. Our COVID policies are subject to change depending on public health, regulatory and business circumstances. 

Applicant Privacy Policy
https://semiconductor.samsung.com/us/careers/privacy

 

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