SoC Architect / uArchitect

Job Title

SoC Architect / uArchitect

Role Summary

Responsible for defining scalable system-on-chip (SoC) architectures for RTOS-based SoCs targeting IoT and XR platforms. The role partners with architects, hardware and software engineers, and technical leads to produce architecture specifications and guide implementation.

Focus areas include system-level trade-offs, performance and power analysis, and integration across HW/SW boundaries.

Experience Level

Senior. Typical background: extensive SoC/IP architecture or micro-architecture/front-end-design experience (guidance in posting ranges from ~12–18 years; minimum qualification alternatives provide lower thresholds depending on degree).

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include:

• Architect highly scalable SoC solutions for RTOS-based IoT/XR products.
• Translate product requirements into architecture and perform trade-off analysis to select optimal solutions.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (architecture, hardware, software, verification) to define interfaces and integration strategy.
• Produce detailed architectural specifications and work with design teams through implementation.
• Develop and apply analysis and modeling tools (functional, performance simulators, profilers) to evaluate designs.
• Drive improvements to architecture methodologies and experiment-based analysis.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and experience:

• Strong foundation in silicon design principles and architectural trade-offs across system, microarchitecture, and implementation levels.
• Proven experience as an architect or micro-architect with demonstrated technical contributions at SoC, sub-system, or large-IP levels.
• Ability to connect levels of abstraction: system-design, high-level languages, OS, HW/SW interface, and micro-architecture.
• Experience with modeling and automation; programming skills in C++ (OOP) and Python; familiarity with software engineering practices (code review, unit tests, version control).
• Experience using and developing analysis and performance modeling tools (simulators, profilers).
• Strong communication, documentation, and collaboration skills for distributed, multi-discipline teams.

Nice-to-have / additional expertise:

• SoC-level design areas: heterogeneous compute, NoC/interconnect, memory systems, multicore, cache hierarchies, coherency, compression, shared memory, I/O.
• Resource and power management and power/performance optimization via simulation and analytical modeling.
• Security architecture and system-level debug.
• AI and machine-learning acceleration experience.
• Real-time systems and RTOS experience (e.g., Zephyr, FreeRTOS).
• Front-end digital hardware design or verification background.
• Familiarity with Arm system architectures (Cortex-A/R/M, SMMU, GIC, CoreSight) and RISC-V architecture.
• High-speed I/O (USB, PCIe), external memory/storage (LPDDR, NAND, NOR), and networking/connectivity protocols.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electronic Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field is listed as required in parts of the posting; Master's degree or PhD are noted as highly desired. The posting also provides degree-plus-experience alternatives: Bachelor's + ~6+ years, Master's + ~5+ years, or PhD + ~4+ years of relevant systems engineering experience. (Posting also references higher experience ranges for SoC/IP architecture roles.)

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.