CPU Performance Engineer, Platform Architecture - Austin, United States
Originally posted 19 October 2026 by the employer.
Work on CPU and cache micro-architecture optimization for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and server CPU designs.
About the role
As a CPU Performance Engineer on the CPU Platform Architecture team, you will define and optimize CPU and cache micro-architecture with a focus on the memory subsystem. Your work covers advanced exploration for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and server CPU designs.
What you'll do
- Define and optimize CPU and cache micro-architecture by identifying performance bottlenecks and evaluating ideas to address them. - Engage with CPU and SoC designers in micro-architecture and RTL to assess idea feasibility through modeling, model correlation, and refinement. - Analyze single-threaded and multi-threaded workloads across existing and new product categories to identify bottlenecks and design improvements. - Maintain and improve the simulation environment alongside the CPU architecture and performance team to support data-driven decisions.
What you'll need
- BS degree. - Experience in CPU and SOC architecture and micro-architecture. - Experience with performance simulation environments. - Object-oriented programming experience in C/C++. - Experience in a scripting language such as Perl or Python.
Nice to have
- Knowledge of memory latency tolerance techniques or other aspects of CPU memory subsystem (i.e. prefetching, caching policies). - 10+ 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. - Familiarity with MP performance. - Experience in a research-driven environment.
Skills: CPU architecture, micro-architecture, performance simulation, C++, workload analysis
This role has been open 0 days — well below the 81-day median for SoC/Chip Architecture roles.
SoC/Chip Architecture · SOC Architecture
|
Open roles in category
470
|
Median days open
81 d
|
Median salary
$238k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, skills in demand, and who else is hiring
| Metric | Apple | All employers we track in this specialty (470 roles · 66 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 38 | 470 |
| Open roles in the wider Digital Design & Verification family | 96 | 3244 · 116 employers |
| Median days open | 13 d | 81 d (−68 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $238k |
Skills observed across this category: CPU architecture, micro-architecture, performance simulation, C++, workload analysis
Who's hiring in this category
- Qualcomm · 73 open roles · median 90 d
- NVIDIA · 56 open roles · median 71 d
- Apple (this employer) · 36 open roles · median 14 d
- AMD · 34 open roles · median 62 d
- Arm Holdings · 27 open roles · median 117 d
- Micron Technology · 22 open roles · median 109 d
How we counted: 470 open SoC/Chip Architecture (SOC Architecture) roles from 66 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 20 Oct 2026. Specialty figures count only roles carrying this exact specialty label, so an employer's related work in neighbouring specialties is not included there — it is counted in the wider Digital Design & Verification family row. Figures refresh nightly.