{"id":2472074,"url":"https://alion.io/job/qualcomm-principal-cpu-ppa-pathfinding-engineer","title":"Principal CPU PPA Pathfinding Engineer","company":{"id":94,"name":"Qualcomm","domain":"qualcomm.com","url":"https://alion.io/company/qualcomm","size_band":"5000+","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Eightfold","truth_index":{"grade":"B","score":73,"open_postings":1257,"ghost_share":0.212,"stale_share":0.108,"repost_share":0.472,"time_to_fill_p50_days":74,"computed_at":"2026-10-14T06:34:16Z"}},"role":"Industrial Engineering","role_family":"Industrial Engineering","seniority":"lead","employment_type":null,"work_mode":"on_site","remote_scope":null,"remote_scope_basis":null,"remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"structured","locations":["San Diego, United States"],"countries":["US"],"hiring_countries":[],"hiring_countries_total":0,"salary":{"min":216600,"max":325000,"currency":"USD","period":"year","gross":null,"usd_annual":325000},"salary_estimate":null,"experience_years_min":15,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":true,"technologies":[{"name":"Perl","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"Rest-Assured","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-09-30T00:00:00Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-10-13","last_verified_at":"2026-10-14T03:40:02Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":14,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":14},"description":"Company:\nQualcomm Technologies, Inc.Job Area:\nEngineering Group, Engineering Group > CPU EngineeringGeneral Summary:\nDefine competitive PPA options that will shape Qualcomm's future CPU products.\nRole Overview\nAs a Principal CPU PPA Pathfinding Engineer, you will analyze, define, and evaluate power, performance, and area options for future Qualcomm CPU projects. You will combine deep CPU implementation expertise with competitive analysis to translate architectural concepts, competitor and industry insights, process technology choices, design methodologies, and physical design constraints into credible PPA projections and actionable recommendations. You will develop and compare multiple CPU design options, clearly articulate their product-level trade-offs, and propose preferred directions to CPU Leads and CPU Product Managers. Your work will influence early CPU definition, implementation strategy, roadmap choices, and product competitiveness across multiple market segments.\nKey Responsibilities\nLead CPU PPA pathfinding studies for future projects, from early concept exploration through implementation feasibility assessment. \nDefine and compare PPA options across CPU microarchitecture, frequency targets, process technology, standard-cell libraries, voltage operating points, floorplans, clocking strategies, and implementation methodologies. \nBuild representative implementation experiments and design-of-experiment frameworks to quantify trade-offs and identify the highest-value optimization opportunities. \nGenerate area and power estimates, frequency projections, and complete power-performance curves across representative CPU workloads, voltage-frequency operating points, process and library options, and thermal conditions. \nDevelop constrained-performance projections under defined platform and product limits, including peak-power, sustained-power, thermal, voltage, frequency, area, and cost constraints. \nEvaluate iso-power, iso-performance, iso-area, and thermally constrained operating points to quantify option-level efficiency and identify the most competitive design point for each product segment. \nPartner with Performance, Power, Thermal, SoC, and Product teams to establish workload assumptions and system power boundaries, and translate CPU power-performance curves into sustained product-level performance projections. \nPartner closely with CPU Architecture, RTL, Performance, Power, Circuits, Physical Design, CAD, Process Technology, SoC, Thermal, and Product teams to align assumptions and recommendations. \nDrive data quality, correlation, and consistent PPA evaluation methodologies across projects, tools, and technology nodes. \nCommunicate complex trade-offs clearly to technical leaders and partner teams, and provide recommendations that guide CPU project selection and execution. \nMentor engineers and contribute to scalable PPA analysis flows, automation, dashboards, and best practices. \nOwn competitive CPU PPA analysis across relevant market segments, using available benchmark results, power-performance data, performance-per-area metrics, die analysis, published architecture information, and technology assumptions to identify competitive gaps and opportunities. \nBuild normalized, apples-to-apples comparisons that account for workload, operating point, process node, library, metal stack, system power boundary, thermal constraints, and measurement or modeling methodology. \nTranslate competitive insights into forward-looking PPA targets, design requirements, and differentiated implementation strategies for future Qualcomm CPU generations. \nDevelop multiple viable CPU PPA options and propose them to CPU Leads and CPU Product Managers, including quantified benefits, risks, assumptions, product-KPI impact, implementation complexity, schedule implications, and a clear recommendation. \nPartner with CPU Product Management to connect engineering trade-offs with customer priorities, market positioning, product tiers, cost constraints, sustained performance, benchmark leadership, and real-world workload efficiency. \nMaintain a fact-based view of competitive trends and technology trajectories, and refresh recommendations as competitor data, silicon measurements, product requirements, and process assumptions evolve. \nRequired Skills:\n15+ years of relevant industry experience in CPU or high-performance ASIC/SoC implementation. \nStrong hands-on implementation background, including physical synthesis, floorplanning, place and route, clock tree synthesis, static timing analysis, power analysis, and signoff. \nDemonstrated experience evaluating and optimizing power, performance, and area for high-frequency CPU cores or similarly complex designs. \nStrong understanding of CPU implementation trade-offs, critical paths, physical constraints, low-power techniques, and advanced-node design challenges. \nAbility to design controlled experiments, analyze large data sets, distinguish first-order effects from noise, and convert results into clear engineering recommendations. \nProficiency in scripting and automation using Python, Tcl, Perl, or similar languages. \nExcellent technical communication, cross-functional collaboration, and problem-solving skills. \nMinimum Qualifications:\n• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field and 8+ years of Hardware Engineering, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience.OR\nMaster's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field and 7+ years of Hardware Engineering, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience.\nOR\nPhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field and 6+ years of Hardware Engineering, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related work experience.\nPreferred Qualifications\nExperience with CPU microarchitecture and performance analysis, including the relationship between workloads, critical paths, frequency, power, and area. \nExperience with advanced process nodes and technology pathfinding, including standard-cell library, voltage, interconnect, and physical design trade-offs. \nHands-on experience with industry-standard implementation and signoff tools from Cadence and/or Synopsys. \nExperience developing PPA estimation models, power-performance curves, design dashboards, or automated experiment frameworks. \nKnowledge of power modeling, thermal constraints, multiple power domains, UPF-based implementation, and low-power optimization techniques. \nOptional: experience with pre-silicon to post-silicon PPA correlation, silicon characterization, or using measured silicon data to improve future projections. \nExperience influencing technical direction across architecture, implementation, methodology, and product teams. \nExperience performing competitive CPU analysis, including power-performance curves, performance per watt, performance per area, die-level analysis, or normalized product comparisons. \nExperience presenting complex technical options and recommendations to CPU leadership, product management, or senior cross-functional decision makers. \nWhat Success Looks Like\nFuture CPU projects begin with well-supported PPA targets, implementation assumptions, and clearly understood trade-offs. \nKey architecture, technology, and implementation options are evaluated early enough to influence project direction. \nPPA projections are repeatable, data-driven, and increasingly correlated across design stages. \nCross-functional teams can make faster, higher-confidence decisions using your analysis and recommendations. \nCompetitive gaps are identified early and converted into measurable CPU PPA targets and prioritized engineering actions. \nCPU Leads and CPU Product Managers receive decision-ready options with transparent assumptions, quantified trade-offs, risks, and a recommended path. \nCPU Leads and CPU Product Managers can compare options using consistent power-performance curves and constrained-performance projections tied to product operating limits. \nWhy Join This Role\nThis is a high-impact Principal-level position with the opportunity to shape the technical direction of next-generation Qualcomm CPUs. You will operate at the intersection of architecture and silicon implementation, solve complex pathfinding problems at advanced nodes, and directly influence performance leadership, power efficiency, area competitiveness, and execution readiness.\nQualcomm is an equal opportunity employer. If you are an individual with a disability and need an accommodation during the application/hiring process, rest assured that Qualcomm is committed to providing an accessible process. You may e-mail  or call Qualcomm's toll-free number found here. Upon request, Qualcomm will provide reasonable accommodations to support individuals with disabilities to be able participate in the hiring process. Qualcomm is also committed to making our workplace accessible for individuals with disabilities. (Keep in mind that this email address is used to provide reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. We will not respond here to requests for updates on applications or resume inquiries).\nTo all Staffing and Recruiting Agencies:Our Careers Site is only for individuals seeking a job at Qualcomm. Staffing and recruiting agencies and individuals being represented by an agency are not authorized to use this site or to submit profiles, applications or resumes, and any such submissions will be considered unsolicited. Qualcomm does not accept unsolicited resumes or applications from agencies. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, Qualcomm employees or any other company location. Qualcomm is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes/applications.\nEEO Employer: Qualcomm is an equal opportunity employer; all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or any other protected classification.\nQualcomm expects its employees to abide by all applicable policies and procedures, including but not limited to security and other requirements regarding protection of Company confidential information and other confidential and/or proprietary information, to the extent those requirements are permissible under applicable law.\nPay rangeand Other Compensation & Benefits :\n$216,600.00 - $325,000.00The above pay scale reflects the broad, minimum to maximum, pay scale for this job code for the location for which it has been posted. Even more importantly, please note that salary is only one component of total compensation at Qualcomm. We also offer a competitive annual discretionary bonus program and opportunity for annual RSU grants (employees on sales-incentive plans are not eligible for our annual bonus). In addition, our highly competitive benefits package is designed to support your success at work, at home, and at play. Your recruiter will be happy to discuss all that Qualcomm has to offer - and you can review more details about our US benefits at this link.\nIf you would like more information about this role, please contact Qualcomm Careers.","description_format":"text","description_chars":11398,"description_truncated":false,"requirements":{"experience_years_min":15,"management_years_min":null,"team_size_min":null,"manages_managers":false,"education":{"level":"bachelor","optional":false},"security_clearance":false,"languages":[]},"benefits":[],"hiring_locations":[],"hiring_excludes":[],"relocation_offered":false,"industries":["Processors, MCUs & AI Chips","Autonomous Driving","RF & Wireless Hardware","Car Electronics"],"lifecycle":[{"event":"open","at":"2026-10-13T20:00:24Z"}],"visa":[{"country":"US","licensed_sponsor":true,"evidence":"H-1B filings in 12 months: 55 · green card filings: 6","filings_12m":55,"filings_prev_12m":87,"green_card_filings_12m":6,"median_offered_wage_usd":122008,"route":null,"cap_exempt":false,"checked_at":"2026-10-03T21:08:04+00:00","sources":["US Department of Labor: LCA disclosure data (H-1B, H-1B1, E-3)","US Department of Labor: PERM disclosure data (green cards)"],"filings_for_role_12m":0}],"liveness":{"score":83,"band":"hot","label":"Hiring now","p_open":1,"p_active":0.832,"p_room":1,"age_days":14,"expected_fill_days":74,"reasons":["conf:2","win:early","comp:brand"],"computed_at":"2026-10-14T06:34:16Z"},"pay":{"stated_usd_annual":325000,"is_top_pay":true},"html_url":"https://alion.io/job/qualcomm-principal-cpu-ppa-pathfinding-engineer","json_url":"https://alion.io/job/qualcomm-principal-cpu-ppa-pathfinding-engineer.json","meta":{"generated_at":"2026-10-14T08:45:54Z","cache_seconds":300,"methodology":"https://alion.io/methodology","terms":"https://alion.io/terms","contact":"https://alion.io/contact","api":"https://alion.io/developers","about":"Alion is a live layer of people, companies and AI agents: who they are, whether they are real and active right now, what they do and how to work with them, readable by people and by agents and paid per call.","catalog":"https://alion.io/catalog.json","usage":{"tier":"crawler_verified","counted_by":"address","units_charged":1,"used_today":9498,"day_limit":null,"remaining_today":null,"minute_limit":300,"resets_at":"2026-10-15T00:00:00Z"}},"offers":[{"id":"company.slices","title":"One company in depth, by slice","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002,"plus_per_slice":{"credits":0.05,"usd":0.005}},"unit":"per company, plus each slice with data","note":"the employer in depth","call":{"mcp_tool":"get_company","arguments":{"id":94},"rest":"https://alion.io/mcp/rest/get_company?id=94"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.slices&for=job%2Fqualcomm-principal-cpu-ppa-pathfinding-engineer"},{"id":"market.stats","title":"A market slice: pay, demand and time to fill","status":"live","price":{"credits":1,"usd":0.1},"unit":"per slice","note":"pay, demand and time to fill for this role and place","call":{"mcp_tool":"market_stats"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=market.stats&for=job%2Fqualcomm-principal-cpu-ppa-pathfinding-engineer"},{"id":"job.search","title":"Open jobs by role, technology, place, pay and visa","status":"live","price":{"credits":0.02,"usd":0.002},"unit":"per posting in a list","note":"similar open postings","call":{"mcp_tool":"search_jobs"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=job.search&for=job%2Fqualcomm-principal-cpu-ppa-pathfinding-engineer"},{"id":"company.verify","title":"Is this company real and active right now","status":"pilot","price":null,"unit":"per company","request":{"url":"https://alion.io/catalog/request","method":"POST","body":"{\"offer\": \"company.verify\", \"for\": \"job/qualcomm-principal-cpu-ppa-pathfinding-engineer\", \"note\": \"what you need it for\"}"},"human":"https://alion.io/catalog?offer=company.verify&for=job%2Fqualcomm-principal-cpu-ppa-pathfinding-engineer"}]}