AWS designs some of the most complex custom SoCs in the world — Trainium chips that power massive machine learning training clusters. Our team builds models of these SoCs that are used across the chip development lifecycle: architecture exploration, design verification, and performance analysis. We need a hands-on engineering manager to lead and scale this modeling effort.
You'll own the modeling stack that chip architects, RTL designers, and verification engineers depend on to build correct, high-performance silicon. This is a technical leadership role where you'll drive both the team's execution and its long-term modeling strategy — including expanding into performance modeling to influence architecture decisions earlier in the chip cycle. This isn't a "manage from the sidelines" role — you'll be in the codebase, debugging model issues, and making architecture decisions alongside your team.
What you'll do:
- Lead the team building functional and performance models of SoC subsystems — from individual IP blocks to full-chip and server-level integration
- Own the modeling methodology and architecture: how models are structured, tested, integrated, and validated against RTL and specs
- Drive the expansion into performance modeling - building cycle-approximate or analytical models that inform architecture trade-offs
- Partner with chip architects and RTL teams to ensure models accurately capture hardware behavior and are delivered on schedule
- Work with design verification teams to integrate models into their validation flows
- Scale and develop a team of modeling engineers, setting the bar for technical depth and delivery
- Build the mechanisms (CI, testing, documentation) that let the team move fast without breaking things
Why this role is interesting:
- You'll directly influence how AWS's custom silicon is designed — your models will shape architecture decisions
- The modeling challenges are deep: multi-subsystem SoCs, complex memory hierarchies, custom accelerator datapaths, network-on-chip, rack-level server architecture, performance at scale
- You'll work at the intersection of software engineering and chip architecture, which is a rare and valuable combination
- Small team with outsized impact on AWS's silicon development velocity
No ML background needed. You'll learn the ML accelerator domain on the job. What matters is deep SoC modeling experience and the ability to lead a technical team through complex chip programs.
About the team More details about Trainium3, our team's latest achievement, as well as some insights into our team culture:
- (https://www.aboutamazon.com/news/aws/trainium-3-ultraserver-faster-ai-training-lower-cost)
Basic Qualifications
- 7+ years of engineering team management experience
- 15+ years of non-internship professional software development experience writing functional or performance models for SoCs, CPUs, GPUs, and/or ASICs
- Familiarity with SoC, CPU, GPU, and/or ASIC architecture and micro-architecture
- Experience building large-scale, OOP software projects in C++ and/or SystemC
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience designing and developing large scale, high-traffic applications
- Experience building test automation frameworks and tools
- Experience working with AWS technologies from a dev/ops perspective
- Experience building high-performance / multi-threaded / distributed software systems
- Experience developing and calibrating performance models for custom silicon chips
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 https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits.
USA, CA, Cupertino - 253,100.00 - 342,300.00 USD annually