Senior Director, SoC Architecture

Job Title

Senior Director, SoC Architecture

Role Summary

Lead SoC system architecture for Ambiq’s next-generation ultra-low-power AI SoCs. Own architecture from concept through silicon validation and production, coordinating across hardware, software, product, and customer teams.

This senior technical leadership role focuses on delivering higher intelligence and performance at the edge while minimizing power for battery-constrained devices.

Experience Level

Senior-level; requires 15+ years of SoC, processor, microcontroller, or system architecture experience.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include:

• Define system architecture across processors, memory, interconnect, clocking, power management, and accelerators.
• Lead architecture definition from concept through production and silicon validation.
• Drive power, performance, area, and system-level tradeoffs for highly constrained embedded devices.
• Develop architecture and microarchitecture specifications, system dataflows, and power/performance models.
• Make hardware/software partitioning decisions in partnership with software and systems teams.
• Evaluate internal and third-party IP, including AI/ML accelerators, and influence long-term technology roadmap.
• Partner with design, verification, FPGA, physical design, and software teams to translate architecture into working silicon.
• Work with customers and product teams to translate use cases into SoC capabilities.
• Support pre-silicon development, silicon bring-up, post-silicon analysis, and production readiness.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship across the architecture and engineering organization.

Requirements

Must-have qualifications:

• 15+ years of SoC, processor, microcontroller, or related system architecture experience.
• Proven experience defining and delivering complex SoC architectures from concept through silicon and production.
• Deep expertise in low-power embedded systems for wearable, IoT, mobile, or other battery-powered products.
• Strong knowledge of CPU/MCU subsystems, memory architecture and topology, fabric/interconnect, clocking, power management, and power/performance modeling.
• Experience creating architecture or microarchitecture specifications used by hardware and software teams.
• Strong cross-functional technical leadership and excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Authorization to work in the United States required.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with AI/ML accelerators, NPUs, DSPs, GPUs, or heterogeneous compute.
• Experience with graphics, display, video, imaging, or computer vision architectures.
• Knowledge of Bluetooth, Wi‑Fi, NFC, GPS, or other wireless technologies.
• Experience with advanced semiconductor process nodes, FPGA prototyping, and post-silicon validation.

Education Requirements

BS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field is required. MS or PhD is preferred.

About the Company

Company: Ambiq

Headquarters: Austin, TX, United States

Semiconductor company developing ultra-low-power microcontroller units (MCUs) and system-on-chip (SoC) platforms for battery-powered and edge devices, focusing on low-power IP, RTL, and production silicon solutions.