CPU Research Engineer (Contractor)

Huawei; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Huawei UK Research and Development in Cambridge seeks a highly skilled CPU researcher to advance mobile processor architectures. You will innovate out-of-order techniques, optimise front-end and back-end paths, and build cycle-accurate models to compare design trade-offs. Collaboration with academic partners will be key.

A PhD or Masters plus strong C/C++ and assembly skills are required. This role focuses on energy-efficient, high IPC mobile CPUs, with opportunities to influence real-world

Qualifications

• Master/PhD in CS/Engineering/Physics or related field.
• Strong knowledge of advanced computer architectures and compiler design principles.
• Deep understanding of speculative execution, branch prediction, and OOO execution.
• Proficient in C/C++, Python and assembly (Arm64/RISC-V) and scripting languages.
• Experience with cycle-accurate microarchitecture simulation and performance modeling.
• Understanding of instruction scheduling, register allocation and code generation.
• Independent, highly-motivated with a strong desire to learn.

Responsibilities

• Research and develop novel out-of-order execution techniques to improve IPC and energy efficiency of mobile CPUs.
• Analyse and optimise front-end pipeline stages including branch prediction, fetch and decode.
• Investigate bottlenecks in the out-of-order backend: issue queues, register renaming, ROB, and execution units.
• Develop and maintain cycle-accurate micro-architectural simulation models (e.g. gem5) for evaluating OOO trade-offs.
• Propose micro-architectural enhancements targeting performance-per-watt for mobile workloads.
• Characterise workloads and perform microarchitectural profiling using hardware counters and simulations.
• Evaluate and integrate state-of-the-art research into practical CPU design proposals.

Skills

Advanced computer architectures

Superscalar processor design

Branch prediction

Out-of-order execution

C/C++ programming

Python

Arm64/RISC-V assembly

Scripting languages

Cycle-accurate simulation

Performance modeling

Instruction scheduling

Register allocation

Code generation

LLVM/GCC knowledge

OS kernel concepts

Education

Master/PhD in Computer Science/Engineering/Physics

Tools

gem5

Sniper

ChampSim

LLVM backend

GCC

Custom ISA extension

OS kernel tooling

Job description

1. Research and develop novel out-of-order execution techniques to improve IPC and energy efficiency of mobile CPUs. 2. Analyse and optimise front-end pipeline stages including branch prediction, fetch, and decode. 3. Investigate bottlenecks in the out-of-order backend: issue queues, register renaming, reorder buffer, and execution units. 4. Develop and maintain cycle-accurate micro-architectural simulation models (e.g. gem5) to evaluate OOO design trade-offs. 5. Propose micro-architectural enhancements targeting performance-per-watt optimisation for mobile workloads. 6. Conduct workload characterisation and microarchitectural profiling using hardware performance counters and simulation. 7. Evaluate and integrate state-of-the-art academic research into practical CPU design proposals. This job description is only an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role. The jobholder will carry out any other duties as may be reasonably required by his/her line manager. The job description and personal specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of Huawei Research and Development UK Limited.

1. Master/PhD degree in Computer Science/Engineering/Physics etc. 2. Strong knowledge of advanced computer architectures, superscalar processor design, and compiler design principles. 3. Deep understanding of speculative execution, branch prediction, and out-of-order execution. 4. Strong programming skills in C, C++, Python, assembly languages (Arm64 assembly or RISC-V assembly), and scripting languages. 5. Experience with cycle-accurate microarchitecture simulation and performance modeling. 6. Understanding of instruction scheduling, register allocation, and code generation. 7. Highly-motivated and independent individual with a strong desire for knowledge acquisition. Desired: 1. Strong knowledge of advanced branch predictors and prefetching mechanisms. 2. Experience with gem5, Sniper, ChampSim, or other cycle-accurate detailed microarchitecture simulators. 3. Experience with LLVM backend development or custom ISA extension implementation. 4. Strong knowledge of profile-guided optimization (PGO) and feedback-directed optimization. 5. Experience with compiler development (LLVM, GCC) or compiler optimization techniques. 6. Experience with OS kernel development and understanding of scheduler and memory manager internals. 7. Knowledge of binary translation, dynamic binary instrumentation, or JIT compilation techniques. 8. Understanding of hardware-enforced security mechanisms (CFI, PAC, BTI, MTE on Arm). 9. Experience with co-simulation frameworks integrating ISA simulators with compiler toolchains. 10. Familiarity with emerging technologies: processing-in-memory (PIM), near-data processing, chiplet architectures. 11. Familiarity with domain-specific architectures and accelerator-compiler co-design methodologies.

Founded in 1987, Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. We have 207,000 employees and operate in over 170 countries and regions, serving more than three billion people around the world. Our vision and mission is to bring digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world. To this end, we will drive ubiquitous connectivity and promote equal access to networks; bring cloud and artificial intelligence to all four corners of the earth to provide superior computing power where you need it, when you need it; build digital platforms to help all industries and organizations become more agile, efficient, and dynamic; redefine user experience with AI, making it more personalized for people in all aspects of their life, whether they're at home, in the office, or on the go. This spirit of innovation has led Huawei to work in close partnership with leading academic institutions in the UK to develop and refine the latest technologies. With a shared commitment to innovation and progress, both parties have worked together to achieve common goals and establish a strong partnership. The partnership between UK and Huawei help to develop the technologies of the future that will transform the way we all communicate, work and live. For the past 30 years we have maintained an unwavering focus, rejecting shortcuts and easy opportunities that don't align with our core business. With a practical approach to everything we do, we concentrate our efforts and invest patiently to drive technological breakthroughs. This strategic focus is a reflection of our core values:

• Staying customer-centric,
• Inspiring dedication,
• Persevering,
• Growing by reflection., Huawei's vision is a fully connected, intelligent world. To achieve this, we work to inspire passion for basic research around the world. Our combined passion drives development across the global innovation value chain. Huawei has the largest Research and Development organization in the world with 96,000+ employees in research centres around the globe. In the UK, we already have design centres in Cambridge, London, Edinburgh and Ipswich. We continue to explore and define new research directions and new services. We have expanded our collaborations with academic researchers; researched new network architectures, integration of communications and key enabling technologies; and developed the fundamental theories of these technologies.