CPU Physical Design Engineer

General Summary

As a leading technology innovator, Qualcomm pushes the boundaries of what’s possible to enable next‑generation experiences and drives digital transformation to help create a smarter, connected future for all. As a Qualcomm CPU Engineer, you will lead innovative Central Processing Unit (CPU) design efforts that have a critical impact on industries across the world. Qualcomm Engineers collaborate with cross‑functional teams to design, verify, and implement multi‑core CPU operations for all Qualcomm Business Units.

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field and 6+ years of relevant work experience.
• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field and 5+ years of relevant work experience.
• PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field and 4+ years of relevant work experience.

• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field.
• 10+ years of work experience with high‑performance microprocessor design.
• 10+ years of work experience with high‑level programming (e.g., C, C++), scripting language programming (e.g., Perl, Python, etc.).
• 10+ years of work experience with simulators and/or waveform debugging tools (e.g., Verilog, VHDL, etc.).
• 10+ years of work experience with industry standard tools for synthesis, place and/or route and design verification.
• 10+ years of work experience with simulation, emulation, formal verification, or silicon validation.
• 10+ years of experience in creating functional models, checkers, test plans, and/or test generation.
• 3+ years experience working in a large matrixed organization.
• 1+ year of work experience in a role requiring interaction with senior leadership (e.g., Director level and above).

• Leverages advanced knowledge of computer architecture, micro‑architecture, logic design, circuits, and/or physical design to develop and verify critical high‑performance and low‑power CPU designs.
• Anticipates, identifies, and solves highly complex problems to ensure design completeness, functionality, power, and performance.
• Collaborates with cross‑functional teams to define requirements, specifications, and trade‑offs (e.g., performance, power, cost, functionalities, etc.) in order to accomplish product goals.
• Evaluates all aspects of the design process from conceptualization to productization (i.e., architecture definition, feasibility, pre‑silicon design and verification, and post‑silicon validation) that meet customer and industry standards.
• Writes detailed technical documentation (e.g., feature descriptions, architectural descriptions, verification test plans, and implementation details, etc.) for highly complex CPU designs; reviews documentation of junior engineers.

• Works independently with minimal supervision.
• Provides supervision/guidance to other team members.
• Decision‑making is significant in nature and affects work beyond immediate work group.
• Requires verbal and written communication skills to convey complex information. May require negotiation, influence, tact, etc.
• Has a moderate amount of influence over key organizational decisions.
• Tasks do not have defined steps; planning, problem‑solving, and prioritization must occur to complete the tasks effectively.

$ – $. This range represents the broad minimum to maximum pay scale for the posted location. In addition to base salary, Qualcomm offers a competitive annual discretionary bonus program and opportunities for annual RSU grants. Employees on sales‑incentive plans are not eligible for the annual bonus. A highly competitive benefits package supports success at work, at home, and at play.

Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer. If you are an individual with a disability and need an accommodation during the application/hiring process, Qualcomm is committed to providing an accessible process. You may e‑mail disability‑ or call Qualcomm’s toll‑free number to request reasonable accommodations.