Principal PCB - Package Co-design Architect

Job Title

Principal PCB - Package Co-design Architect

Role Summary

Senior electronics engineer and system-level hardware architect focused on PCB and silicon-package co-design. Join the Packaging, Boards and Multiphysics team to define and drive PCB, package and platform architecture for Arm SoC-based hardware development platforms.

Work cross-functionally with SoC teams, architects, platform leads, chip packaging and manufacturing partners to translate technology requirements into practical, manufacturable board and package solutions.

Experience Level

Senior-level (Principal/Architect). Typical background: 7+ years of relevant PCB, package or system-level hardware design and architecture, or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

Deliver PCB and package co-design solutions, influence SoC pinouts and platform architecture, and assess trade-offs across performance, manufacturability and cost.

• Define and drive PCB development alongside chip packaging teams: breakout, routing strategies, layer optimization and design rules.
• Translate technology and SoC requirements into board and platform architectures, including placement, form-factor and PDN strategy.
• Perform escape-routing analysis and estimate routable IO counts for given stack-ups and rule sets.
• Evaluate package pinout options for routability, SI/PI performance, layer count, manufacturability and cost.
• Provide signal and power integrity guidance from both board and package perspectives.
• Collaborate with PCB fabricators and CEM partners to assess manufacturability of advanced PCB technologies (PTH, HDI, substrate materials).
• Communicate technical concepts and timescale estimates across engineering teams and program management.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills, tools and experience to perform the role; follow-on items are desirable.

Must-have:

• Deep understanding of SoC architectures and platforms for high-performance embedded compute, Cloud/Edge AI and IoT.
• Hands-on experience with high-speed interfaces (e.g. PCIe Gen5/6/7, LPDDR5/6, CSI, DSI) and embedded peripherals.
• Proven embedded system board design experience with complex LSI devices (SoCs, FPGAs), PMICs and power delivery networks.
• Familiarity with IC packaging technologies and their implications for PCB design and signal/power routing.
• Experience collaborating with chip packaging teams and influencing device pin-outs for routing feasibility and cost optimization.
• Expertise in signal integrity (SI) and power integrity (PI) analysis from board and package viewpoints.
• Knowledge of PCB fabrication processes, stackups, VIA topologies and HDI techniques; ability to assess manufacturability with fabricators.
• Proficiency with EDA tools for schematic entry and PCB layout (Cadence OrCAD & Allegro).
• Strong communication skills and ability to drive progress in fast-paced, ambiguous environments.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with SI tools such as ANSYS or Siemens EDA.
• Background in semiconductor industry and familiarity with advanced packaging substrates.
• Broad understanding of compute architectures and functional building blocks.
• Experience working across geographies and collaborating with distributed teams.

Education Requirements

Not specified.

About the Company

Company: Arm

Headquarters: Cambridge, United Kingdom

ARM is a global leader in semiconductor and software design, driving innovation in computing technology. The company specializes in designing processors and systems that provide the essential building blocks for electronic devices. ARM's architecture is widely used in smartphones, servers, and IoT devices, and its collaborative culture fosters bold thinking, diversity, and high-impact benefits for its talented workforce.