This role pays more than
83%
of similar roles. Most pay
$167,161–$231,512
— the shaded band above.
At the midpoint, this role pays about
$240k
versus about
$199k
for comparable roles.
Based on 240 similar postings.
Employer
About Qualcomm
Qualcomm is a leading American semiconductor and telecommunications company based in San Diego, CA.
Qualcomm currently has
615 open roles
on FindRole.
Listed pay typically runs
$155,400–$232,600
across 593 roles with salary data.
The Sr-Staff Performance Engineer joins the DSP Architecture and Design team to drive architectural analysis, performance modeling, and system optimization for next-generation computing platforms. This role involves analyzing complex SoCs, processors, and heterogeneous computing systems while developing performance models, benchmarks, and simulation environments to evaluate architectural tradeoffs. The engineer will investigate bottlenecks across CPUs, DSPs, NPUs, memory subsystems, interconnects, and I/O fabrics while collaborating with hardware and software teams to drive performance closure. Key responsibilities include characterizing system behavior through profiling, tracing, and instrumentation methodologies. Required skills include proficiency in C/C++, Python, and experience with Linux or Windows device drivers. The role addresses critical challenges in processor microarchitecture, memory hierarchies, and power-performance tradeoff analysis to influence future architectural directions for high-performance microprocessor designs and integrated systems.
Analyze and optimize performance for complex SoCs, processors, and heterogeneous computing systems.
Develop performance models, benchmarks, and simulation environments to evaluate architectural tradeoffs.
Identify system-level bottlenecks across CPUs, DSPs, NPUs, memory subsystems, and I/O fabrics.
Analyze workload behavior to improve performance, power efficiency, and scalability.
Evaluate hardware-software interactions involving operating systems, firmware, and device drivers.
Develop profiling, tracing, and instrumentation methodologies to characterize system behavior.
Correlate silicon measurements with simulation data to provide actionable architectural recommendations.
Influence future processor and system designs through technical analysis and architecture reviews.
What we're looking for
Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field with 6+ years of experience.
Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field with 5+ years of experience.
PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field with 4+ years of experience.
At least 10 years of industry experience in performance engineering, computer architecture, system architecture, or a related field.
At least 2 years of experience with high-performance microprocessor design.
Proficiency in C/C++, Python, and experience developing or optimizing Linux or Windows device drivers.
Strong understanding of processor microarchitecture, memory hierarchies, interconnects, SoC design, and operating system internals.
Experience with performance modeling, simulation tools, and profiling methodologies; familiarity with DSP, AI/ML accelerators, GPU, or NPU architectures (preferred).
Python
C
C++
Android
Linux
Windows
ARM
SoC
Vulkan
OpenGL
CUDA
Power Management
Performance Analysis
Automation
Memory Hierarchy
System Interconnects
SMMU
GIC
Coresight-PMU
Python
C/C++
Android
Linux
Windows
SoC
CUDA
Vulkan
OpenGL
DX12
AI
LLM
Power Management
Performance Analysis
Automation
Memory Hierarchy
SMMU
GIC
Coresight-PMU