Embedded CPU Performance Architect, Platform Architecture

Apple • Santa Clara, CA

10h

About The Position

The CPU Platform Architecture team at Apple is seeking a highly motivated and innovative Embedded CPU Architect to join their tight-knit group. This team is dedicated to pushing the limits of power-efficient CPU performance, focusing on squeezing every drop of performance out of every milliwatt. The role involves driving performance and efficiency optimization and exploring architectural features for Apple’s embedded CPUs that power critical functions across the entire product line, including iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The architect will collaborate with experienced CPU designers to assess and refine ideas through modeling, correlate RTL with CPU performance simulators, and analyze specific workloads to identify bottlenecks and opportunities for improvement. The team also works on maintaining and improving simulation and correlation environments to enable data-driven decisions and boost team productivity.

Requirements

• BS degree
• Experience in CPU and SOC architecture and micro-architecture
• Experience with performance simulation environments
• Object-oriented programming skills in C/C++
• Experience in a scripting language such as Perl or Python

Nice To Haves

• Expertise in CPU microarchitecture in one or more of the following areas: branch prediction, prefetching, pipeline optimization, datapath, memory hierarchy
• 20+ years of relevant industry experience
• MS or PhD in Electrical or Computer Engineering or Computer Science
• Understanding of common data structures and algorithms
• Familiarity with SIMD, vector, or accelerator architectures
• Understanding of: power-performance trade-offs in CPU designs, system-level power management, and low-power design techniques
• Comfortable in an environment of uncertainty and able to navigate through ambiguities
• Experience in a research-driven environment

Responsibilities

• Define CPUs specifically designed for running embedded applications across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and other Apple products.
• Seek out areas for improvement in the unique constraints of varied embedded use cases.
• Model solutions that balance performance, power efficiency, and area.
• Collaborate with experienced CPU designers in micro-architecture and RTL to assess the feasibility of ideas through modeling.
• Refine ideas to make them implementable.
• Correlate RTL with the CPU performance simulator to ensure design targets are met and the model is accurate.
• Analyze specific workloads across a wide variety of existing and new product categories to identify bottlenecks and opportunities for improvement.
• Collaborate with the larger CPU architecture and performance team to maintain and improve simulation and correlation environments.
• Enable data-driven decisions and look for ways to boost the productivity of the entire team.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior