Data Center AI SoC & System Architect

Job Title

Data Center AI SoC & System Architect

Role Summary

Design next-generation cloud AI system-on-chip (SoC) and data center systems optimized for generative AI inference. The role focuses on SoC, memory, and system architecture across product generations and partners closely with architecture, design, software, platform, product, and customer teams.

Primary mission: translate workload and product requirements into SoC and system specifications, quantify trade-offs (performance, power, area, cost, capacity, memory bandwidth, network topology and scalability), and drive architecture into implementation and production.

Experience Level

Senior - typically requires 7+ years of relevant experience in SoC, platform, or system architecture, AI accelerators, memory architecture, or related fields.

Responsibilities

The role combines architecture definition, analysis, cross-team coordination, and performance validation:

• Partner with architecture, design, product, software, platform, and customer teams to define data center SoC and system requirements.
• Translate product and workload requirements into SoC and system specifications and drive feature requirements to technology, IP, platform, and software teams.
• Perform SoC and system architecture studies and product definition, quantifying trade-offs for performance, power, area, cost, capacity, memory bandwidth, and scalability.
• Develop and apply analysis methods and tools (calculators, analytical models, profilers, simulators) to evaluate designs.
• Follow designs through implementation and production; correlate observed performance with models; identify root causes and drive performance closure.
• Execute competitive analyses across compute, memory, networking, software, and deployment considerations.
• Support and mentor technical contributors and contribute to technical innovations and patents.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience for successful candidates.

• Must-have: 7+ years of relevant experience in SoC, platform, or system architecture; AI accelerators; memory architecture; or memory technologies.
• Deep expertise in computer and system architecture spanning processors, accelerators, memory systems, interconnects, hardware/software interfaces, and SoC/system implementation trade-offs.
• Proven ability to execute quantitative SoC and system studies using high-level calculators, spreadsheets, analytical models, profilers, and functional or performance simulators.
• Experience correlating modeled and measured system performance, isolating hardware/software bottlenecks, and driving cross-functional performance closure through production.
• Strong technical communication, documentation, and interpersonal skills; experience presenting to technical and business stakeholders.
• Self-directed execution and experience mentoring other engineers.
• 2+ years of practical programming experience with languages such as C, C++, Java, or Python for modeling and automation.

Nice-to-have:

• Understanding of generative AI and machine-learning workloads, especially LLM inference and accelerator bottlenecks.
• Experience with ISA design, microarchitecture, system topology, scale-up/scale-out networks, or hardware/software co-design.
• Knowledge of DRAM and memory-controller architecture, protocols (LPDDR, HBM, DDR, GDDR), and emerging memory technologies.
• Expertise in data center SoC/system technologies such as RAS, ECC, security/encryption, Ethernet/InfiniBand, RDMA, NICs, switches, chiplets, PHYs, power/thermal, advanced packaging, or platform management.
• Familiarity with using AI to accelerate engineering workflows.

Education Requirements

Degrees cited across the posting include Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Engineering, Information Systems, or related technical fields. The posting also states that equivalent practical experience will be considered in lieu of degree credentials.

About the Company

Company: Qualcomm

Headquarters: San Diego, California, United States

Qualcomm is a global leader in semiconductor and telecommunications equipment, specializing in mobile technologies and innovations. Known for its Adreno GPUs, the company provides solutions enabling advancements in mobile gaming, AI, VR/AR, and autonomous driving. Qualcomm's cutting-edge technology and commitment to high-performance, power-efficient designs drive the evolution of mobile graphics and connectivity worldwide.