DSP Micro-Architect RTL Engineer

QUALCOMM, Inc.; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 160,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. is seeking a motivated engineer to contribute to the development of high‑performance, energy‑efficient CPU cores within the Hexagon team.

You will own microarchitecture and RTL development, tackling low‑power optimization, performance exploration, and timing challenges in a collaborative environment. The role focuses on areas like processor pipelines, out-of-order execution, caches, memory hierarchy, and multi‑processor systems.

Qualifications

• 1–12 years of experience in CPU architecture and RTL design.
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field and 4+ years of Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience.
• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field and 3+ years of Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience.
• PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field and 2+ years of Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience.
• 2+ years of experience with high-performance microprocessor design.

Responsibilities

• Own microarchitecture and RTL development, including low-power optimizations, performance exploration, and achieving area and timing goals.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to meet project milestones and quality targets.

Skills

CPU architecture

RTL design

Microprocessor design

Education

Bachelor’s degree in EE/CS/CE

Master’s degree in EE/CS/CE

PhD in EE/CS/CE

Tools

RISC-V

Job description

Company:

Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.

Job Area:

Engineering Group, Engineering Group > DSP Architecture and Design

General Summary:

Qualcomm is the world’s largest fabless design company, delivering cutting‑edge hardware, software, and services to nearly every mobile device maker and operator in the global wireless ecosystem.

At the heart of Qualcomm’s multi-tier mobile SoC, Server, IoT, and Automotive roadmap are our high-performance, multithreaded, low‑power Hexagon cores. These cores power a wide range of applications—from AR/XR, audio, and modem to machine learning and automotive. You’ll be working on industry‑leading modem and AI cores, driving innovation across instruction sets, RTOS, software architecture, microarchitecture, power, thermal, and di/dt challenges.

We’re looking for a motivated and talented engineer to join our team and contribute to the development of high‑performance, energy‑efficient CPU cores. Ideal candidates will have experience in CPU microarchitecture and RTL design, with knowledge in one or more of the following areas:

• Processor pipelines
• Out-of-order execution
• Load/store units
• Caches and cache coherence
• Memory hierarchy
• Multi-processor and multi-threaded systems
• RISC‑V architecture

You will own microarchitecture and RTL development, including low-power optimizations, performance exploration, and achieving area and timing goals. Strong communication, collaboration, and teamwork skills are essential.

Are you passionate about design and solving complex, challenging problems? Join our Hexagon team—creators of over 20 billion cores—with a proven track record of innovation and flawless execution.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field
• 1–12 years of experience in CPU architecture and RTL design

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field and 4+ years of Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience.
• OR
• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field and 3+ years of Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience.
• OR
• PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field and 2+ years of Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience.
• 2+ years of experience with high-performance microprocessor design.

Equal Opportunity & Disability Accommodations

Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer. If you are an individual with a disability and need an accommodation during the application/hiring process, rest assured that Qualcomm is committed to providing an accessible process. You may e‑mail disability‑[e-mail] or call Qualcomm's toll‑free number found here. Upon request, Qualcomm will provide reasonable accommodations to support individuals with disabilities to be able participate in the hiring process. Qualcomm is also committed to making our workplace accessible for individuals with disabilities. (Keep in mind that this email address is used to provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. We will not respond here to requests for updates on applications or resume inquiries).

Agency Policy

To all Staffing and Recruiting Agencies: Our Careers Site is only for individuals seeking a job at Qualcomm. Staffing and recruiting agencies and individuals being represented by an agency are not authorized to use this site or to submit profiles, applications or resumes, and any such submissions will be considered unsolicited. Qualcomm does not accept unsolicited resumes or applications from agencies. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, Qualcomm employees or any other company location. Qualcomm is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes/applications.

EEO Statement

EEO Employer: Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or any other protected classification.

Pay Range & Benefits

Pay range and Other Compensation & Benefits:

$160,200.00 - $240,200.00

The above pay scale reflects the broad, minimum to maximum, pay scale for this job code for the location for which it has been posted. Even more importantly, please note that salary is only one component of total compensation at Qualcomm. We also offer a competitive annual discretionary bonus program and opportunity for annual RSU grants (employees on sales‑incentive plans are not eligible for our annual bonus). In addition, our highly competitive benefits package is designed to support your success at work, at home, and at play. Your recruiter will be happy to discuss all that Qualcomm has to offer – and you can review more details about our US benefits at this link.