CPU Systems Architect

CPU Architect Staff (L6 equivalent), scope across multiple teams 8-12 years

1 Which company are you aiming at?

To generate precise rejection-prevention feedback and application strategy, tell us where you're targeting.

Apple

NVIDIA

Qualcomm

Intel

AMD

Arm

2 Send your application

You need an account so we know where to send the feedback.

Create an account Sign in

The job description

Tech stack. System architecture, platform modeling, Arm and RISC-V ecosystems, PPA analysis, Python, workload analysis, hardware-software co-design, technology roadmapping

About the role

You will work as a systems architect at a semiconductor company, defining how the CPU fits into complete computing platforms from cloud servers to edge devices. Systems architects look beyond the processor die to the platform: memory capacity and bandwidth, IO and networking, accelerators, power delivery, thermals, firmware, and the software stack. You will set platform-level requirements, model end-to-end application performance, and ensure the CPU architecture serves the system it ships in rather than optimizing the die in isolation.

What you will achieve

Define platform-level architecture requirements for CPU programs, translating application and deployment needs into concrete targets for the processor, memory subsystem, IO, and system infrastructure.
Model end-to-end application performance across the platform, identifying whether the bottleneck is the core, memory bandwidth, IO, or software, and directing investment to the constraint that matters.
Drive hardware-software co-design initiatives with OS, hypervisor, runtime, and application teams, ensuring the CPU architecture exposes the right features for the software that will run on it.
Evaluate technology options at the system level such as memory technologies, interconnect standards, and accelerator integration, recommending the combinations that maximize platform value.
Partner with customers and product teams to validate that architectural choices address real deployment scenarios, from datacenter fleet efficiency to edge power constraints.
Shape the multi-year platform roadmap, aligning CPU generations with memory, IO, and software evolution so each generation lands in a system ready to exploit it.

What you will bring

Must-haves

8 to 12 years of experience in system architecture, platform architecture, or CPU architecture with shipped products.
Broad technical scope spanning processors, memory systems, interconnects, and at least one of networking, storage, or accelerators.
Strong performance analysis skills at the application and system level, not just the microarchitectural level.
Understanding of datacenter, enterprise, or edge deployment realities including power, cooling, reliability, and total cost of ownership.
Experience working with software teams on co-design, enablement, or performance optimization.
Ability to translate between business and customer needs and concrete technical requirements.
Excellent communication skills for influencing across hardware, software, product, and customer organizations.

Nice-to-haves

Experience with TCO modeling for datacenter or cloud deployments.
Familiarity with rack-scale or system-level interconnects and disaggregated architectures.
Background in firmware, systems software, or performance engineering.