Senior Staff Engineer, GPU RTL Firmware

Samsung Electronics America; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 180,000 - 270,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical

Dental

Vision

Life Insurance

401(k)

Onsite lunch

Employee purchase program

Tuition assistance

Paid time off

Student loan program

Wellness incentives

Job summary

Samsung Electronics America is seeking a Senior Staff GPU RTL Firmware Engineer to shape firmware for next‑generation mobile GPUs, including CP and RLC control, and to collaborate across architecture, RTL, and software teams. You will influence interfaces, scheduling, and system control, while driving bring‑up, debug, and validation in a fast‑paced, global environment.

The role emphasizes production‑level firmware architecture, performance optimization, and mentoring teammates, with a focus on

Qualifications

• 10+ years of firmware development experience or 8+ with MS, 6+ with PhD.
• Strong proficiency in C/C++/Assembly.
• Expertise in GPU or SoC architecture, including CP/RLC.
• RTL design and ASIC flow knowledge (Verilog/SystemVerilog).
• Experience with GPU pipelines and graphics/compute APIs.

Responsibilities

• Shape design and development of control firmware for next‑gen mobile GPUs.
• Collaborate with hardware/software teams on firmware interfaces and scheduling.
• Influence RTL design decisions to ensure scalable, production‑ready GPU IPs.
• Drive firmware lifecycle from bring‑up to validation and optimization.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to cross‑functional initiatives.

Skills

Firmware development

GPU architecture

RTL design

C/C++/Assembly

RISC‑V firmware

GPU pipelines

Graphics APIs

Verilog/SystemVerilog

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science/Engineering

Tools

Verilog

SystemVerilog

RISC‑V

Job description

Position Summary

Samsung, a world leader in advanced semiconductor technology, is founded on a simple philosophy – the endless pursuit of excellence will create a better world for all. At Samsung Austin Research and Development Center (SARC) and Advanced Computing Lab (ACL), we are building a center of excellence for Intellectual Property (IP) that is applied to high-performance computing devices (mobile, automotive, and other custom market segments) consumed by millions of people around the world. Come build with us!

Role and Responsibilities

As a Senior Staff GPU RTL Firmware Engineer, you will help shape the design and development of control firmware for Samsung’s next-generation mobile GPUs, shaping critical subsystems such as the Command Processor (CP) and RunList Controller (RLC) that orchestrate GPU execution, scheduling, and system control. In this high-impact individual contributor role, you will collaborate with hardware and software teams to shape how GPU workloads are scheduled, managed, and brought to life in silicon. You will partner closely with architecture, RTL, software, and validation teams to help influence hardware–firmware interfaces, contribute to execution-control strategy, and ensure scalable, production-ready GPU IPs across multiple product generations and market segments. Leveraging your expertise in GPU control firmware (including CP and RLC architectures), you will help shape the definition, implementation, and evolution of firmware that orchestrates GPU execution, scheduling, context management, and system-level control across multiple GPU IP generations. You excel at contributing to the firmware lifecycle, driving firmware architecture, bring-up, debug, and validation while influencing RTL design decisions to ensure clean interfaces, functionality, and scalability across use cases. You ensure technical excellence through analysis and optimization of GPU execution and scheduling behavior by identifying performance, latency, and utilization bottlenecks across command processing, runlist management, preemption, and context switching. You help influence next-generation GPU architectures, contributing to CP and RLC evolution through RISC‑V–based firmware development, architectural exploration, and early enablement of new scheduling, reliability, and power‑aware execution features. You proactively collaborate with architecture, RTL, and software teams to align execution efficiency with system‑level goals. You inspire high performance by mentoring junior engineers, contributing to a culture of ownership and innovation, and staying ahead of emerging GPU technologies and RTL firmware technologies.

Skills and Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience with a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science/Engineering, or 8+ years of experience with a Master’s Degree, or 6+ years of experience with a Ph.D.
• 8+ years of hands‑on experience in firmware development, with strong proficiency in C/C++/ Assembly.
• Strong expertise in GPU or SoC architecture, including command processors, control logic, scheduling, and hardware–software interaction.
• Strong knowledge of RTL design, ASIC flows, Verilog/SystemVerilog.
• Working knowledge of GPU pipelines and graphics/compute APIs (Vulkan, OpenGL, Direct3D, OpenCL).
• Hands‑on experience with RISC‑V–based microprocessors, including firmware development, bring‑up, and debug.
• Excellent debugging, analytical, and problem‑solving skills, with proven ability to identify bottlenecks, propose solutions and guide implementation.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills, with the ability to navigate ambiguity and influence in a fast‑paced, global team environment.

Our Team

The GPU Project and RTL teams at SARC/ACL own the microarchitecture development of features for Samsung’s current and next-generation mobile GPU IPs. Our work spans core RTL design, front‑end implementation, power and performance optimization, firmware enablement, and the infrastructure needed to deliver scalable, production‑ready designs. Through cross‑functional collaboration, we translate architectural concepts into high‑quality RTL that delivers market‑differentiating performance and energy efficiency. Our Xclipse GPU is the industry’s first mobile GPU with hardware ray tracing technology, enabling console‑level graphics on Samsung Galaxy smartphones. You will join a diverse, highly collaborative organization working across concurrent‑development cycles, with direct impact on consumer technologies used worldwide. Here you’ll help build what’s next, experiment with new ideas and explore different GPU development verticals, broaden technical expertise, and solve impactful challenges in a supportive environment that values collaboration, continuous learning, and growth.

Total Rewards

The base pay range for this role is between $180,200 and $270,400. Your actual base pay will depend on variables that may include your education skills, qualifications, experience, and work location.

• medical
• dental
• vision
• life insurance
• 401(k)
• onsite lunch
• employee purchase program
• tuition assistance (after 6 months)
• paid time off
• student loan program
• wellness incentives
• and many more

In addition, regular full‑time employees (salaried or hourly) are eligible for MBO bonus compensation, based on company, division, and individual performance.

Additionally, this role might be eligible to participate in long term incentive plan and relocation.

This is an exempt position, which is not eligible for overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

Trade Secrets

By submitting an application, you agree not to disclose to Samsung or induce or encourage Samsung to use any confidential or proprietary information (including trade secrets) belonging to a current or former employer or other entity.

U.S. Export Control

This role may require access to information subject to U.S. export control laws. Applicants must be authorized to access such information or eligible for government authorization.

#SARC #ACL

#SARC #ACL

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