Senior CPU Performance Engineer

About this role

CPU Performance Engineer (Device-Level Analysis) Overview We are hiring a CPU Performance Engineer focused on device-level performance analysis. This role sits at the intersection of real-world system behaviour and CPU microarchitecture, with the objective of understanding performance observed on devices and translating it into actionable insights for CPU design teams. You will work on silicon platforms and real devices, analysing performance across complex and often non-deterministic environments

The role requires a solid foundation in CPU fundamentals, along with a strong interest in understanding how system-level behaviour maps to underlying microarchitecture. Working alongside experienced architects and performance engineers, you will contribute to investigations, build supporting evidence, and help guide CPU design decisions. This is not a CPU design or microarchitecture role

Instead, you will influence CPU architecture by identifying bottlenecks, validating hypotheses (where possible) using pre-silicon platforms (e.g. FPGA, emulation, performance models), and driving data-backed recommendations to CPU teams. Key Responsibilities Device Performance Analysis Analyse performance on real devices using real-world workloads Support investigation of system-level performance issues, identifying CPU-related factors Operate effectively in low-observability environments (e.g

no waveforms, partial counters, noisy systems) CPU-Focused Analysis Use PMU counters and profiling tools to understand CPU behaviour Contribute to identifying performance bottlenecks (e.g. memory, front-end/back-end, execution) Build understanding of how microarchitectural features impact real-world performance Pre-Silicon Support Assist with experiments on emulation or FPGA platforms to validate hypotheses Reproduce silicon-observed behaviours in controlled environments to isolate CPU effects Where applicable, compare silicon vs model vs emulation to build confidence in findings Influencing CPU A

Apply for this role on ARM’s official careers site.