CPU Design Engineer – Microarchitecture / RTL / Performance / PPA

European Tech Recruit; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

European Tech Recruit partners with a semiconductor technology organisation developing high‑performance CPU architectures. They are seeking a Senior/Staff CPU Design Engineer to contribute across performance exploration, microarchitecture development, RTL design, verification support, and physical design delivery.

The role works closely with CPU modelling, design verification, and multi‑functional engineering teams to deliver CPU designs that meet power, performance, area, timing, reliability,

Qualifications

• Experience in CPU design and development.
• Experience with RTL development, assessment, and refinement.
• Knowledge of CPU performance exploration and modelling.
• Understanding of power, performance, area, and timing in CPU design.
• Experience supporting functional verification activities.
• Collaborative mindset with multi-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Explore high-performance CPU design strategies in collaboration with the CPU modelling team.
• Contribute to performance exploration and early architectural analysis.
• Develop and define CPU microarchitecture from early exploration through detailed specification.
• Own the development, assessment, and refinement of RTL designs.
• Support the design verification team in executing functional verification strategies.

Skills

CPU design

RTL development

Performance modelling

Microarchitecture development

Verifications support

Physical design awareness

Job description

Senior/Staff CPU Design Engineer – Microarchitecture / RTL / Performance / PPA

We are currently partnered with a semiconductor technology organisation developing high-performance CPU architectures. They are looking to hire a CPU Design Engineer to contribute across performance exploration, microarchitecture development, RTL design, verification support, and physical design delivery.

The role works closely with CPU modelling, design verification, and broader multi-functional engineering teams to develop and deliver CPU designs against power, performance, area, timing, reliability, and testability goals.

Key responsibilities

• Explore high-performance CPU design strategies in collaboration with the CPU modelling team
• Contribute to performance exploration and early architectural analysis
• Develop and define CPU microarchitecture from early high-level architectural exploration through detailed specification
• Research and assess microarchitectural approaches
• Own the development, assessment, and refinement of RTL designs
• Target power, performance, area, and timing goals through RTL development
• Support the design verification team in executing functional verification strategies
• Support performance verification to help demonstrate that RTL designs meet defined performance goals
• Work with multi-functional engineering teams throughout design delivery
• Support implementation and validation of physical design against timing, area, reliability, and testability requirements

Key requirements

• Experience in CPU design and development
• Experience with CPU performance exploration and modelling
• Experience contributing to microarchitecture development and specification
• Experience with RTL development, assessment, and refinement
• Understanding of power, performance, area, and timing goals in CPU design
• Experience supporting functional verification activities
• Experience supporting performance verification
• Experience working with multi-functional engineering teams through design delivery
• Understanding of physical design considerations including timing, area, reliability, and testability

Keywords

CPU Design Engineer / CPU Design / CPU Architecture / CPU Microarchitecture / Microarchitecture Development / Microarchitecture Research / CPU Modelling / Performance Exploration / Performance Modelling / High-Performance CPU / Architectural Exploration / Architectural Research / Microarchitectural Specification / RTL Design / RTL Development / RTL Ownership / RTL Refinement / Digital Design / ASIC Design / Semiconductor Design / Power Performance Area / PPA / Power Optimisation / Performance Optimisation / Area Optimisation / Timing / Functional Verification / Design Verification / Performance Verification / Physical Design / Design Implementation / Reliability / Testability / CPU Performance / CPU Verification / Hardware Design / Processor Design

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