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Lead CPU Performance Architect

Google

Portland, ORJob$192–278K/yrSeen todaySeen in employer's feed today

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At a glance

Compensation
$192–278K/yr
Location
Portland, OR
Work Authorization
Not specified

Olive lists jobs from US employers, including remote roles you can work from the United States.

Job overview

Google seeks a Lead CPU Performance Architect to develop custom silicon for its direct-to-consumer products. The role focuses on CPU microarchitecture, performance modeling, and evaluating performance, power, and area trade-offs. The architect will define CPU subsystem specifications and collaborate across RTL, physical design, and verification teams to deliver production-ready implementations.

Skills & qualifications

RequiredNice to have

Skills

CPU Microarchitecture DesignPerformance ModelingSoftware Performance AnalysisPerformance ImprovementHigh-Performance Computer ArchitecturePerformance AnalysisWorkload CharacterizationPPA OptimizationC/C++Scripting LanguagesCPU Microarchitectural ExplorationSpecification DefinitionHigh-Fidelity Performance ModelingProcessor Instruction Set ArchitecturesSystem Software StacksLinux KernelDevice DriversRuntime EnvironmentsTechnical StrategyMentoring

Qualifications

Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science or Related Field or Equivalent Practical Experience10 Years CPU Microarchitecture Design and Performance Modeling ExperiencePhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering or Computer ScienceFluent English

Full job description

Lead CPU Performance Architect

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corporate_fare Google place Austin, TX, USA; Mountain View, CA, USA; +3 more; +2 more

Advanced

Experience owning outcomes and decision making, solving ambiguous problems and influencing stakeholders; deep expertise in domain.

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XIn most instances, this position requires in-person interviews as part of the hiring process.Note: By applying to this position you will have an opportunity to share your preferred working location from the following: Austin, TX, USA; Mountain View, CA, USA; Portland, OR, USA; Poughkeepsie, NY, USA .

Minimum qualifications:

  • Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

  • 10 years of experience with CPU microarchitecture design and performance modeling.

  • Experience with software performance analysis and improvement, and high performance computer architectures (e.g., CPU, memory subsystem, multiprocessing).

  • Experience in performance modeling, performance analysis, workload characterization, or PPA optimization.

  • Experience in C/C++ or other scripting languages.

Preferred qualifications:

  • PhD degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science with a focus on computer architecture.

  • Experience leading CPU microarchitectural exploration, defining specifications, and building high-fidelity C/C++ performance models.

  • Experience with modern processor instruction set architectures (ISAs) such as ARM, RISC-V, or x86.

  • Experience with system software stacks, including operating system kernels (Linux), device drivers, and runtime environments.

  • Experience guiding technical strategy and mentoring engineers.

  • Ability to communicate in English fluently to support client relationship management in this region.

About the job

Be part of a team that pushes boundaries, developing custom silicon solutions that power the future of Google's direct-to-consumer products. You'll contribute to the innovation behind products loved by millions worldwide. Your expertise will shape the next generation of hardware experiences, delivering unparalleled performance, efficiency, and integration.Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. Our team combines the best of Google AI, Software, and Hardware to create radically helpful experiences. We research, design, and develop new technologies and hardware to make computing faster, seamless, and more powerful. We aim to make people's lives better through technology.Individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

US: $192000 - $278000 (USD) + 20% bonus target + equity + benefits

Learn more aboutbenefits at Google (https://www.google.com/about/careers/applications/benefits/) .

Responsibilities

  • Develop innovative microarchitectural features to significantly enhance CPU performance.

  • Model complex core microarchitectural concepts and evaluate Performance, Power, and Area (PPA) trade-offs to deliver a buildable, production-ready microarchitecture.

  • Define and document comprehensive CPU subsystem microarchitecture specifications.

  • Lead cross-functional collaboration with RTL, physical design, and verification teams to ensure a high-performance, power-efficient CPU implementation.

  • Drive performance correlation between the performance model and RTL implementation and perform pre-silicon and post-silicon performance bug triage.

Information collected and processed as part of your Google Careers profile, and any job applications you choose to submit is subject to Google'sApplicant and Candidate Privacy Policy (./privacy-policy) .

Google is proud to be an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. We are committed to building a workforce that is representative of the users we serve, creating a culture of belonging, and providing an equal employment opportunity regardless of race, creed, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or related condition (including breastfeeding), expecting or parents-to-be, criminal histories consistent with legal requirements, or any other basis protected by law. See alsoGoogle's EEO Policy (https://www.google.com/about/careers/applications/eeo/) ,Know your rights: workplace discrimination is illegal (https://careers.google.com/jobs/dist/legal/EEOC\_KnowYourRights\_10\_20.pdf) ,Belonging at Google (https://about.google/belonging/) , andHow we hire (https://careers.google.com/how-we-hire/) .

If you have a need that requires accommodation, please let us know by completing ourAccommodations for Applicants form (https://goo.gl/forms/aBt6Pu71i1kzpLHe2) .

Google is a global company and, in order to facilitate efficient collaboration and communication globally, English proficiency is a requirement for all roles unless stated otherwise in the job posting.

To all recruitment agencies: Google does not accept agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our jobs alias, Google employees, or any other organization location. Google is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.

Equity is granted exclusively and discretionarily by Alphabet Inc. on the basis of an agreement concluded between you and Alphabet Inc. Alphabet Inc. is your sole contractual partner with respect to equity grants. GSU grants are not guaranteed, are discretionary, are subject to approval by the Alphabet Inc. board of directors or its delegate, the terms of the relevant Alphabet Inc. stock plan, and your grant agreement. They have no impact on statutory payments. Current or past grants do not confer an acquired right.

Google is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. See also https://careers.google.com/eeo/ and https://careers.google.com/jobs/dist/legal/OFCCP_EEO_Post.pdf If you have a need that requires accommodation, please let us know by completing our Accommodations for Applicants form: https://goo.gl/forms/aBt6Pu71i1kzpLHe2.

How this job compares

Set against the 3,155 open Hardware Engineer jobs on Olive Jobs, counted November 7, 2026.

Pay
  • This posting$192–278K/yr
  • Oregon median$146–252K/yr38 salary ranges
  • US median$135–205K/yr2,354 salary ranges

This range's midpoint, $235K, is 14% above the Oregon median midpoint ($205K) — in the top quarter of Hardware Engineer salary ranges in Oregon.

Openings
Olive Jobs lists 63 open Hardware Engineer jobs in Oregon and 3,155 across the US. Under 1% of them nationwide are listed as remote or flexible.
Hiring the most in Oregon
Experience
This posting asks for at least 10 years of experience — more than three in four Hardware Engineer postings that state a minimum ask for (median 5 years, across 2,635 postings).
Education
1,752 of the 3,155 open Hardware Engineer jobs (56%) ask for a bachelor's degree or higher.

Counted across the open, public US postings on Olive Jobs on November 7, 2026. Pay medians are the middle values of the low ends and of the high ends of postings that list both ends of a range in the same cadence (a yearly salary or an hourly rate); a range's midpoint is halfway between its ends. Pay and experience figures resting on fewer than 20 postings are left out.

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