Principal Data Center AI SoC & System Architect

Job Title

Principal Data Center AI SoC & System Architect

Role Summary

The Data Center AI Architecture team defines next-generation cloud AI SoCs and systems for generative AI inference workloads. This role leads SoC and system architecture studies, product definition, and implementation guidance to meet high demands for compute, memory bandwidth, capacity, and system scalability.

The principal architect will translate workload and product requirements into scalable SoC and system solutions, develop models and specifications, quantify trade-offs across performance/power/area/cost/latency, and work cross-functionally to drive designs into production.

Experience Level

Senior - typically 10+ years of relevant experience in SoC, platform, or system architecture, AI accelerators, memory architecture, or related technologies.

Responsibilities

Lead technical and cross-functional efforts to define and deliver data center SoC and system solutions.

• Provide technical leadership across SoC and system architecture studies, product definition, and implementation guidance.
• Translate product and workload requirements into scalable SoC and system architectures and specifications.
• Develop models and drive feature requirements into technology, IP, platform, and software teams.
• Quantify system-level tradeoffs: performance, power, area, cost, capacity, memory bandwidth, topology, latency, and scalability.
• Correlate modeled and measured system performance, identify root causes of gaps, and drive performance closure through production.
• Perform competitive analysis across SoC, platform, system, compute, memory, networking, software, and deployment considerations.
• Partner with architecture, design, systems, product, software, platform, and customer teams to influence roadmaps.
• Identify innovation opportunities and drive patentable work; mentor and lead technical contributors.

Requirements

Required technical skills, experience, and behaviors. Degrees are summarized under Education Requirements below.

• 10+ years of relevant experience in SoC, platform, or system architecture; AI accelerators; memory architecture; or memory technologies.
• Proven ownership of complex architectural deliverables and ability to lead across teams and influence technical direction.
• Deep expertise in computer and system architecture: processors, accelerators, memory systems, interconnects, hardware/software interfaces, and implementation tradeoffs.
• Ability to frame ambiguous problems and lead quantitative studies using calculators, analytical models, profilers, and simulators.
• Experience developing architecture methodologies, tools, and analysis frameworks and converting findings into actionable recommendations.
• Experience correlating modeled and measured system performance and driving cross-functional performance closure.
• Excellent technical and executive communication, documentation, and interpersonal skills; strong attention to accuracy.
• Self-directed execution and experience mentoring others.

Nice-to-have:

• Understanding of generative AI and ML workloads, especially LLM inference and accelerator bottlenecks.
• Knowledge of DRAM and memory-controller architecture, protocols (LPDDR, HBM, DDR, GDDR), and emerging memory technologies.
• Expertise in data center SoC/system technologies: RAS, ECC, security, networking (Ethernet/InfiniBand/RDMA), NICs, switches, chiplets, PHYs, power/thermals, advanced packaging, and platform management.
• Programming ability for architecture modeling and automation; object-oriented C++ and Python preferred.
• Familiarity with using AI to accelerate workflows.

Education Requirements

MS or PhD in EE, ECE, CE, CS, or a related field is cited. The posting also lists degree/experience alternatives: Bachelor's + 8+ years, Master's + 7+ years, or PhD + 6+ years of relevant software/engineering experience; equivalent practical experience will be considered.

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.