Senior Pre-Silicon SoC Modeling Engineer, Annapurna Labs Machine Learning Accelerators, AWS

Senior Pre-Silicon SoC Modeling Engineer, Annapurna Labs Machine Learning Accelerators, AWS

AWS's Trainium and Inferentia chips power the world’s largest machine learning clusters. Our team builds C++ models of these custom SoCs that RTL designers, verification engineers, and software teams depend on throughout the silicon development lifecycle. We are looking for a modeling engineer to build and own models that directly impact how our chips are designed, verified, and brought to production.

• Build and own models of SoC subsystems — translating architecture specs and RTL behavior into accurate, testable C++ models.
• Work directly with RTL design and verification teams to validate model behavior against RTL, debug discrepancies, and support pre‑silicon verification flows.
• Develop model‑based test infrastructure: regression suites, RTL correlation checks, and coverage‑driven testing.
• Contribute to performance modeling efforts — building cycle‑approximate models that help architects evaluate design trade‑offs before RTL exists.
• Improve modeling methodology and infrastructure: how models are structured, integrated, tested, and released to DV and architecture teams.
• Collaborate with chip architects to understand upcoming designs and plan modeling work ahead of RTL availability.

• Your models are used to verify silicon before it’s built — bugs you catch save months of schedule and millions of dollars.
• You’ll work at the intersection of software engineering and chip design, with deep visibility into how custom ML accelerators are architected.
• As the team scales, there’s a clear path into architectural modeling, using your models to influence chip design decisions, not just validate them.
• Small team, high ownership, direct impact on AWS’s most strategic silicon programs.

• Have built functional or performance models of SoCs, ASICs, GPUs, CPUs, or IP blocks.
• Are comfortable working with architectural / design specifications or reference implementations and translating them into C++ or SystemC models.
• Understand verification concepts and have worked with DV teams or in pre‑silicon validation environments.
• Care about model fidelity and have experience correlating models against RTL or silicon.
• Are interested in expanding into architectural performance modeling as the team grows.
• Enjoy working on a small, high‑impact team where you own significant pieces of the stack.

• 6+ years of full software development life cycle experience, including coding standards, code reviews, source control management, build processes, testing, and operations.
• Experience as a mentor, tech lead, or leading an engineering team.
• 6+ years writing functional or performance models of hardware (SoCs, ASICs, GPUs, CPUs, IP blocks).
• Experience programming in C++, using advanced language features.
• Knowledge of SoC, CPU, GPU, and/or ASIC architecture and micro‑architecture.

• Experience working with DV teams or integrating models into verification flows.
• Experience correlating functional models against RTL simulation, emulation, or silicon.
• Experience developing and calibrating performance models for custom silicon.
• Experience with SystemC, TLM, or cycle‑approximate modeling methodologies.
• Experience building regression and CI frameworks for model validation.
• Familiarity with Modern C++ (C++20 and beyond).
• Experience with multi‑threaded or distributed simulation.
• ML accelerator architecture knowledge (a plus, not required).

This role can be based in Cupertino, CA or Austin, TX.

Base salary ranges:
Cupertino, CA—$193,300 to $261,500 annually;
Austin, TX—$168,100 to $227,400 annually.

Your package will include sign‑on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and optional supplemental life plans), EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage, 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave.

Learn more at (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)..

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