Staff Engineer, Architecture & Performance Research Engineer for Data Center and Agentic AI CPU

Samsungsemiconductor; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 163,000 - 253,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Charitable giving match

Paid time off

Fertility/adoption stipend

Medical travel support

Virtual vet care

Therapy services

Onsite Café & gym

Flexible environment

Job summary

Samsung Semiconductor in San Jose seeks a Staff Engineer to shape CPU architecture and performance for next‑generation data center workloads and agentic AI. You will guide RTL teams, translate ideas to silicon, and own multi‑domain architectural directions.

You will explore AI‑driven methodologies, validate concepts on silicon, and drive performance modeling, with opportunities for patents and publications. This role emphasizes collaboration and impact across the data center pipeline.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, CS, or a related field with 8+ years of experience (or PhD with 5+ years).
• 4+ years of CPU microarchitecture or performance engineering experience.
• Experience designing RISC‑V, ARM, x86 CPU cores or GPU/NPU vector unit.
• Strong understanding of out‑of‑order execution, branch prediction, pipelines, and caches.
• Hands‑on experience with architectural simulators such as gem5.
• Proficiency in C/C++ and Python.
• Experience analyzing large‑scale performance data and traces.

Responsibilities

• Propose new architecture ideas and own one or more microarchitectural domains, including front‑end, mid‑end, and back‑end.
• Use AI‑driven design methodologies to rapidly implement architectural ideas and validate them on real silicon.
• Build, extend, and validate performance models and architectural simulators.
• Perform CPI/IPC analysis and identify root causes of performance bottlenecks.
• Evaluate microarchitectural features and optimizations using trace‑driven, analytical, and cycle‑accurate models.
• Characterize workloads and benchmarks, including SPEC, server, client, AI/ML, agentic AI, and internal traces.
• Translate performance analysis and modeling results into architectural direction and design decisions.
• Drive research leading to patents and technical publications.

Skills

CPU microarchitecture

Performance engineering

RISC-V/ARM/x86 cores

gem5

C/C++ & Python

Performance data analysis

Education

Master’s degree in Computer Engineering/CS

PhD with 5+ years

Tools

gem5

Job description

Staff Engineer, Architecture & Performance Research Engineer for Data Center and Agentic AI CPU

Location: Daily onsite presence at our San Jose office in alignment with our Flexible Work policy

Job ID: 43004

As a Staff CPU Architecture & Performance Engineer, you will shape the architecture and performance direction of next-generation CPU architectures. You will identify opportunities across emerging workloads, develop and refine performance models, evaluate system‑level architectural trade‑offs, and drive new microarchitectural concepts from research to implementation. You will work closely with RTL design teams to translate architectural concepts into implementable designs, guide key technical decisions, and validate their impact from modeling through silicon. The role offers broad ownership across architectural domains, with the opportunity to define new research directions, influence CPU architecture strategy, and drive ideas that can deliver meaningful performance gains in real hardware.

What You’ll Do

Architecture Research Lab is focused on researching next‑generation CPU (RISC‑V) microarchitecture and performance for emerging computing workloads. We explore new architectural ideas, evaluate their performance potential, and rapidly turn promising concepts into working designs that can be validated on real silicon. Our research is driven by emerging opportunities in data center and agentic AI workloads, where we investigate how CPU architecture can evolve to meet new performance and efficiency requirements. We also explore CPU‑memory co‑design from the CPU perspective, in alignment with the broader shift toward memory‑centric architectures. A distinctive aspect of our team is the way we approach architecture research. We develop and apply AI‑driven methodologies to accelerate architectural exploration, broaden the design space we can investigate, and quickly iterate from ideas to implementation and silicon validation. Rather than simply following established design flows, we continuously seek new ways to explore, evaluate, and realize CPU architectures. The role offers an opportunity to work across the full spectrum of architecture research—from workload and performance analysis, microarchitectural innovation, and architectural modeling to implementation and silicon validation—while helping shape new methodologies for how future CPUs are designed.

• Propose new architecture ideas and take ownership of one or more microarchitectural domains, including front‑end, mid‑end, and back‑end
• Use AI‑driven design methodologies to rapidly implement architectural ideas and validate them on real silicon
• Build, extend, and validate performance models and architectural simulators
• Perform CPI/IPC analysis and identify root causes of performance bottlenecks
• Evaluate microarchitectural features and optimizations using trace‑driven, analytical, and cycle‑accurate models
• Characterize workloads and benchmarks, including SPEC, server, client, AI/ML, agentic AI, and internal traces
• Translate performance analysis and modeling results into architectural direction and design decisions
• Drive research leading to patents and technical publications

What You Bring

• Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field with 8+ years of relevant experience, or PhD with 5+ years of relevant experience
• 4+ years of experience in CPU microarchitecture or performance engineering
• Experience designing RISC‑V, ARM, x86 CPU cores, or GPU/NPU vector unit
• Strong understanding of out‑of‑order execution, branch prediction, pipelines, speculation, and cache/memory systems
• Hands‑on experience with architectural simulators such as gem5
• Proficiency in C/C++ and Python
• Experience analyzing large‑scale performance data and traces

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with AI‑driven or agentic design workflows, including high‑level design languages and AI‑assisted RTL generation, or a strong interest in and ability to quickly learn such methods
• Understanding of agentic AI workload execution patterns
• Domain‑specific experience in one or more of the following areas:
  • Front‑end: Branch prediction and decoupled fetch, particularly for compiler‑ or interpreter‑driven workloads
  • Mid‑end: RVV/SIMD, matrix/tensor engine design, and out‑of‑order vector execution
  • Back‑end: LSU/MSHR design and prefetcher design for irregular access patterns
• Experience with PPA trade‑off analysis
• Experience leading and mentoring junior engineers
• Experience with CPU tapeout or silicon validation
• Experience with patents or technical publications
• You’re inclusive, adapting your style to the situation and diverse global norms of our people.
• You approach challenges with curiosity and resilience, seeking data to help build understanding.
• You’re collaborative, building relationships, humbly offering support and openly welcoming approaches.
• Innovative and creative, you proactively explore new ideas and adapt quickly to change

#LI‑SF1

What We Offer

Pay range below is for all roles at this level across all US locations and functions. Pay within this range varies by work locationand may also depend on job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience. We also offer incentive opportunities that reward employees based on individual and company performance.

• Base Pay Range: $163,000 — $253,000 USD
• Give Back: With a charitable giving match and frequent opportunities to get involved, we take an active role in supporting the community.
• Enjoy Time Away: You’ll start with 4+ weeks of paid time off a year, plus holidays and sick leave, to rest and recharge.
• Care for Family: Whatever family means to you, we want to support you along the way—including a stipend for fertility care or adoption, medical travel support, and virtual vet care for your fur babies.
• Prioritize Emotional Wellness: With on‑demand apps and free confidential therapy sessions, you’ll have support no matter where you are.
• Stay Fit: Eating well and being active are important parts of a healthy life. Our onsite Café and gym, plus virtual classes, make it easier.
• Embrace Flexibility: Benefits are best when you have the space to use them. That’s why we facilitate a flexible environment so you can find the right balance for you.

Equal Opportunity Employment Policy

Samsung Semiconductor takes pride in being an equal opportunity workplace dedicated to fostering an environment where all individuals feel valued and empowered to excel, regardless of race, religion, color, age, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, ancestry, genetic information, marital status, national origin, political affiliation, or veteran status.

When selecting team members, we prioritize talent and qualities such as humility, kindness, and dedication. We extend comprehensive accommodations throughout our recruiting processes for candidates with disabilities, long‑term conditions, neurodivergent individuals, or those requiring pregnancy‑related support. All candidates scheduled for an interview will receive guidance on requesting accommodations.

Our Commitment to Innovation and Fairness

At Samsung Semiconductor, we use Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in the recruitment process to enhance efficiency. However, AI is used as a support tool, not a final decision‑maker. All hiring decisions are made by our human recruiting team and hiring managers to ensure every candidate is evaluated fairly and holistically.