AI Lead Architect - Silicon Design Execution

Job Title

AI Lead Architect - Silicon Design Execution

Role Summary

Senior individual-contributor responsible for defining and driving Altera's AI strategy for chip design, verification, and implementation. Partner with design, verification, implementation, CAD, and IT teams to identify opportunities, prototype solutions, and deploy AI-driven tooling into production engineering workflows.

Experience Level

Senior - expects an experienced engineer (role describes 12+ years of relevant semiconductor/hardware experience).

Responsibilities

Lead technical strategy, delivery, and adoption of AI/ML solutions that materially improve hardware design productivity and results.

• Define and own AI/ML strategy for hardware design, verification, and implementation aligned to engineering roadmaps.
• Drive end-to-end deployment: identify opportunities, pilot, validate, and productionize tools and methods.
• Specify, prototype, and productionize tooling (retrieval over technical corpora, agentic assistants, predictive models) used by engineers.
• Establish evaluation, versioning, monitoring, and retirement practices for AI tools.
• Partner with CAD, IT, and engineering teams to prepare data (access, provenance, quality, IP constraints) for ML use.
• Engage engineering teams to co-develop solutions that fit real workflows and build organizational buy-in.
• Assess internal and third-party AI/ML technologies and recommend build-vs-buy decisions.
• Define success metrics (turnaround time, QoR, productivity) and report measurable impact to leadership.
• Mentor and raise AI/ML fluency across engineering teams through coaching and hands-on collaboration.

Requirements

Must-have technical and professional qualifications; preferred items noted separately.

• 12+ years of hands-on semiconductor/hardware design, verification, or implementation experience with deep familiarity with EDA tools and flows.
• Proven experience applying AI/ML to engineering workflows, preferably within chip design, verification, or physical implementation.
• Working proficiency in Python and modern ML/LLM tooling; hands-on experience in at least one: LLM fine-tuning or post-training; retrieval-augmented generation over technical corpora; agentic frameworks; or classical ML applied to EDA data (e.g., ML-guided placement/routing, predictive timing/power, verification coverage optimization).
• Track record of leading technical initiatives and driving adoption of new methodologies across engineering teams without direct management authority.
• Ability to engage senior stakeholders and customers, communicate strategy, and navigate high-stakes technical discussions with credibility and diplomacy.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to present strategy and progress to senior leadership.
• Nice-to-have: prior experience at an EDA or semiconductor company; experience operating at Principal/Distinguished Engineer level; direct customer or external-partner engagement on technical strategy.

Education Requirements

BS, MS, or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field - or equivalent practical experience.

About the Company

Company: Altera

Headquarters: Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Altera provides leadership programmable solutions for applications ranging from cloud to edge, unveiling limitless AI possibilities. Their extensive product portfolio includes FPGAs, CPLDs, Intellectual Property, development tools, and System on Modules aimed at accelerating innovation in various fields.