Senior SoC Hardware Architect

Job Title

Senior SoC Hardware Architect

Role Summary

Lead system-level SoC platform architecture efforts for classes of products within automotive, edge, and radar processing domains. Work with cross-functional teams to define scalable architecture specifications, hardware/software partitioning, KPIs, and IP selection to be delivered into commercial products.

Experience Level

Senior. Typically 10–15+ years of relevant SoC architecture experience; expect senior-level ownership of system architecture and cross-functional leadership.

Responsibilities

Define and drive system-level SoC platform architectures and ensure successful deployment into products.

• Develop architecture specifications: system use-cases, HW/SW partitioning, KPIs, and standards alignment.
• Produce specifications for internal and 3rd-party IP; perform make-vs-buy analyses and select IP.
• Collaborate with design, software, verification, and execution teams across the product lifecycle.
• Evaluate and balance performance, power, and area trade-offs for target product tiers.
• Design for multi-domain systems including mixed-criticality and safety requirements.

Requirements

Core technical and practical skills required for this role.

• 10–15+ years of hands-on SoC architecture or system-on-chip design experience targeting complex SoCs.
• Proven experience designing or architecting complex SoCs with multiple independent compute environments and leading-edge process nodes.
• Exposure to ISO26262-compliant and mixed-criticality architectures and safety-driven design trade-offs.
• Deep knowledge of ARM architecture specifications.
• Expertise in one or more: coherent/non-coherent interconnects, DDR memories, memory QoS, power & operating state management, PCIe, USB, networking, debug, boot, virtualization, ML compute, multimedia/pixel processing.
• Ability to work at system-level and define optimal HW/SW partitioning with software architects.
• Track record defining IP components to solve system issues and guiding IP integration.
• Strong cross-functional communication and leadership to guide implementation from architecture to product delivery.

Education Requirements

BS in Electrical Engineering or similar discipline (stated requirement with 15+ years experience). Advanced degree preferred: Master's or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science (preferred with 10+ years experience). The posting references engineering degrees in EE/CE/CS or related technical disciplines and preference for higher degrees.

About the Company

Company: NXP Semiconductors

Headquarters: Nijmegen, Netherlands

NXP Semiconductors N.V. is a global semiconductor company that provides High Performance Mixed Signal and Standard Product solutions. With over 45,000 employees and operations in more than 35 countries, NXP is a leader in secure connectivity solutions for embedded applications, catering to automotive, industrial IoT, mobile, and communication infrastructure markets. The company is committed to innovation and sustainability, advancing a smarter, safer, and more sustainable world through technology.