Hardware Architecture Engineer
The job description
Tech stack. System architecture modeling, processor and SoC selection, memory subsystem sizing, interconnect analysis, power budgeting, technology evaluation, workload characterization, decision records, cost modeling
About the role
You will define the hardware architectures that product teams build on, making the foundational choices that determine what is possible, what it costs, and how long development takes. Hardware architecture engineers evaluate processors, memory technologies, and interconnects, then produce the block diagrams, budgets, and trade studies that guide entire programs. You will work ahead of the design teams, resolving the big questions early so they can execute with confidence instead of discovering constraints mid-layout. Good architects are right about the things that are expensive to change later and wisely flexible about everything else. You will also maintain the architecture decision records that capture why each platform choice was made, so future teams inherit the reasoning instead of re-litigating old trade-offs.
What you will achieve
- Deliver hardware architecture specifications with complete block diagrams, interface definitions, and power, thermal, and cost budgets
- Drive processor and SoC selection through structured evaluation: benchmarks, vendor engagement, roadmap alignment, and honest risk assessment
- Size memory subsystems and interconnects correctly through bandwidth analysis, latency modeling, and workload characterization with real data
- Resolve architecture-level trade-offs such as integration versus flexibility or cost versus performance with quantitative analysis and clear recommendations
- Create architecture documentation that design teams can execute from directly, with decision records explaining the reasoning behind every major choice and its alternatives
What you will bring
Must-haves
- 2 to 5 years in hardware design or architecture roles with exposure to system-level decision making and its consequences
- Understanding of processor architectures including ARM, x86, and RISC-V: cores, caches, memory controllers, and I/O capabilities
- Ability to model system performance through bandwidth calculations, latency analysis, and bottleneck identification
- Experience evaluating components and technologies against requirements with structured, defensible comparison methods
- Familiarity with power budgeting at the system level: rail planning, sequencing requirements, and thermal implications of choices
- Clear technical writing for architecture specs, trade studies, and executive summaries that non-specialists can follow
- BS in Electrical or Computer Engineering
Nice-to-haves
- Experience with chiplet or multi-die architectures and their system-level implications for power and interconnect
- Knowledge of memory technologies beyond DDR: HBM, LPDDR, and emerging non-volatile memories
- Familiarity with system-level simulation or performance modeling tools
- Background in product management or customer-facing technical roles that inform better architecture choices
Google
Apple
NVIDIA
Tesla
Intel
AMD