About this opportunity
Amazon lists this AI SoC Modeling Engineer, Annapurna Labs Machine Learning Accelerators, AWS opportunity in cupertino, California. Review the employer’s description below for duties, qualifications and application requirements.
Job description
AI SoC Modeling Engineer, Annapurna Labs Machine Learning Accelerators, AWS
AWS's Trainium and Inferentia chips power the world's largest machine learning clusters. Our team builds C++ models of these custom SoCs that RTL designers, verification engineers, and software teams depend on throughout the silicon development lifecycle. We're looking for a modeling engineer to build and own models that directly impact how our chips are designed, verified, and brought to production.
What you'll do:
Develop and maintain high-fidelity functional model of AI/ML accelerator and its SoC subsystems, including compute engines, memory hierarchies, on-chip interconnects, and data paths — translating architecture specs and RTL behavior into accurate, testable C++ models
Validate model behavior against RTL simulations, emulation platforms, or silicon measurements; debug discrepancies and drive model-to-RTL correlation to high fidelity
Partner with design verification teams to integrate models into pre-silicon validation environments and catch architectural bugs early in the design cycle
Collaborate with architects/micro-architects, RTL design engineers, ML SW engineers, and compiler engineers to evaluate architecture and microarchitecture tradeoffs and help make hardware design decisions
Contribute to cycle-approximate performance model effort enabling architectural exploration ahead of RTL availability, early software development
Quantify system-level tradeoffs across compute, memory bandwidth, networking, and storage to influence reference architectures and long-term silicon strategy
Build and improve modeling infrastructure: simulation frameworks, regression suites, automated correlation checks, and coverage-driven validation flows
Develop modeling methodologies and tools that scale across multiple IP blocks and SoC generations, improving team efficiency and model reuse
Why this role is interesting:
Your models are used to verify silicon before it's built — bugs you catch save months of schedule and millions of dollars
You'll work at the intersection of software engineering and chip design, with deep visibility into how custom ML accelerators are architected
As the team scales, there's a clear path into architectural modeling — using your models to influence chip design decisions, not just validate them
Small team, high ownership, direct impact on AWS's most strategic silicon programs
You will thrive in this role if you:
Have built functional or performance models of SoCs, ASICs, GPUs, CPUs, or IP blocks
Are comfortable working with architectural / design specifications or reference implementations and translating them into C++ or SystemC models
Understand verification concepts and have worked with DV teams or in pre-silicon validation environments
Care about model fidelity and have experience correlating models against RTL or silicon
Are interested in expanding into architectural performance modeling as the team grows
Enjoy working on a small, high-impact team where you own significant pieces of the stack
No ML background needed. You'll learn the ML accelerator domain on the job.
This role can be based in Cupertino, CA or Austin, TX.
Basic Qualifications
Experience programming languages such as C/C++, Python, Java or Perl
2+ years writing functional or performance models of hardware (SoCs, ASICs, GPUs, CPUs, IP blocks)
Familiarity with SoC, CPU, GPU, and/or ASIC architecture and micro-architecture
Preferred Qualifications
2+ years of full software development life cycle, including coding standards, code reviews, source control management, build processes, testing, and operations experience
Experience working with DV teams or integrating models into verification flows
Experience with SystemC or TLM-based modeling
Experience correlating functional models against RTL simulation or emulation
Experience developing or calibrating performance models
Familiarity with Modern C++ (20 and beyond)
Experience with PyTest, GoogleTest, or similar test frameworks
Experience with multi-threaded simulation
Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.
Los Angeles County applicants: Job duties for this position include: work safely and cooperatively with other employees, supervisors, and staff; adhere to standards of excellence despite stressful conditions; communicate effectively and respectfully with employees, supervisors, and staff to ensure exceptional customer service; and follow all federal, state, and local laws and Company policies. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness and professionalism, and safeguard business operations and the Company’s reputation. Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
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The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at
USA, CA, Cupertino - 165,200.00 - 223,600.00 USD annually
USA, TX, Austin - 143,700.00 - 194,400.00 USD annually
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Worksite address
cupertino, CA, 95014, US
Who can apply
Review the original listing for work authorization, qualifications and employer requirements.