Chief CPU Architect (dpISA)

Huawei; Cambridge; On-site; GBP 160,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Huawei is seeking a Chief Architect (dpISA) to guide architecture R&D and drive Arm ISA extensions. You will lead advanced research, shape architectural design, and mentor a team of researchers and engineers to deliver scalable and secure solutions.

The role focuses on memory and security architectures, dpISA design (SVE/SME, SSE, AVX10), and close collaboration with product management to align architectural outcomes with roadmaps.

Qualifications

• Educational background: university-level degree in CS/EE or related field.
• Expertise in Arm ISA or equivalent ISAs (MIPS, Power, X86) not including RISC‑V.
• Proven ISA R&D experience, with architectural design and evolution.
• Strong memory and security architecture design experience.
• Hands-on dpISA design experience (SVE/SME, SSE, AVX10 or similar).
• Experience leading and mentoring technical teams, driving innovation.

Responsibilities

• Lead design, research, and maintenance of Arm ISA alignment with industry trends.
• Conduct advanced ISA research and track new developments and innovations.
• Design and optimize memory and security architectures for scalability and performance.
• Lead dpISA development and deployment for high-performance computing.
• Collaborate with cross‑functional teams to integrate architectural components.

Skills

Arm ISA

dpISA design

Memory architecture

Security architecture

leadership

Education

University degree in Computer Science / Electrical Engineering

Job description

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Chief Architect (dpISA) to guide our architecture R&D activities. This is a senior-level position for a subject-matter expert in Arm ISA, or equivalent ISAs such as Power, MIPS or X86. The ideal candidate will possess a deep technical understanding and proven experience in the research, design, and development of ISAs, with a particular emphasis on memory architecture, security architecture, and data processing ISAs (dpISA). As Chief Architect, you will play a crucial role in driving the innovation and evolution of Arm extensions, collaborating with cross-functional teams to research and develop cutting-edge technologies for our architecture roadmap. This position requires leadership, technical expertise, and an ability to shape the future of computing through architectural design.

• Lead Architecture Design: Spearhead the design, research, and maintenance of Arm ISA, ensuring alignment with industry-leading trends in processing capabilities, security, and memory management.
• ISA Research & Development: Conduct advanced research on Arm ISAs, tracking and recording new developments, innovations, and trends in the field.
• Memory & Security Architecture: Design and optimize advanced memory and security architectures, ensuring scalability, efficiency, and performance across various workloads.
• dpISA Expertise: Lead the development of data processing ISAs (dpISA) such as SVE (Scalable Vector Extension), SME (Scalable Matrix Extension), SSE (Streaming SIMD Extensions), AVX10, etc., optimizing and deploying them for modern computing needs.
• Collaboration: Work closely with engineering, product management, and cross-disciplinary teams to integrate new architectural components and align designs with product needs.
• Innovation & Thought Leadership: Stay at the forefront of technology trends, bringing innovative ideas to architecture development and guiding the team in exploring and adopting the latest advancements in the field.
• Mentorship & Leadership: Lead a team of researchers and engineers, mentoring junior members and fostering a collaborative environment that encourages creativity, technical growth, and problem-solving.

This job description is only an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role. The jobholder will carry out any other duties as may be reasonably required by his/her line manager. The job description and personal specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of Huawei Research and Development UK Limited.

• Impact: Play a key role in advancing the future of Arm architecture and influencing the computing industry.
• Innovation: Work with cutting‑edge technologies and shape the evolution of architecture for a wide range of applications.
• Growth: Opportunity for personal and professional growth as a leader in architecture research and development.
• Collaboration: Be part of a dynamic and highly collaborative team, where your expertise and contributions will drive innovation.

If you are a visionary leader with deep expertise in Arm or equivalent ISAs, and you're excited to drive the next generation of architectural designs, we would love to hear from you.

What we offer

• 33 days annual leave entitlement per year (including UK public holidays)
• Group Personal Pension
• Life insurance
• Private medical insurance
• Medical expense claim scheme
• Employee Assistance Program
• Cycle to work scheme
• Company sports club and social events

Additional time off for learning and development.

Qualifications

• Educational Background: A degree at university level or above in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related fields, or equivalent practical experience.
• Expertise in Arm Architecture or Equivalent ISAs: Extensive experience with Arm Instruction Set Architecture or other equivalent ISAs such as MIPS, Power or X86 (not RISC-V). In-depth knowledge of architecture specifications, design methodologies, and performance evaluation and optimization techniques.
• ISA Research & Development: Proven track record of research and development in ISAs, including maintaining and evolving architectural designs over time.
• Memory & Security Architecture Design: Strong experience in designing memory systems and security mechanisms, with a focus on scalability, performance, and reliability.
• dpISA Design Experience: Hands‑on experience designing and optimizing data processing ISAs, such as SVE/SME, SSE, AVX10, or similar data processing instruction sets for high‑performance computing.
• Leadership & Mentorship: Experience in leading and mentoring high‑performing technical teams, providing guidance and fostering innovation in architectural research and development.
• Problem‑Solving & Innovation: Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills with the ability to create and implement innovative solutions to complex architectural challenges.
• Communication: Excellent communication skills, with the ability to present complex technical concepts to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders.

Preferred Skills

• Familiarity with advanced processor designs and architectures beyond traditional RISC and CISC approaches.
• Experience in the development of specialized architecture for cloud computing, edge computing, or embedded systems.
• Contributions to open‑source or industry‑standard architecture research projects.
• Experience working in multi‑disciplinary teams and collaborating on large‑scale, cross‑functional projects.

About Huawei

Founded in 1987, Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. We have 207,000 employees and operate in over 170 countries and regions, serving more than three billion people around the world.

Our vision and mission is to bring digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world. To this end, we will drive ubiquitous connectivity and promote equal access to networks; bring cloud and artificial intelligence to all four corners of the earth to provide superior computing power where you need it, when you need it; build digital platforms to help all industries and organizations become more agile, efficient, and dynamic; redefine user experience with AI, making it more personalized for people in all aspects of their life, whether they're at home, in the office, or on the go. This spirit of innovation has led Huawei to work in close partnership with leading academic institutions in the UK to develop and refine the latest technologies. With a shared commitment to innovation and progress, both parties have worked together to achieve common goals and establish a strong partnership. The partnership between UK and Huawei help to develop the technologies of the future that will transform the way we all communicate, work and live. For the past 30 years we have maintained an unwavering focus, rejecting shortcuts and easy opportunities that don't align with our core business. With a practical approach to everything we do, we concentrate our efforts and invest patiently to drive technological breakthroughs.

Huawei's vision is a fully connected, intelligent world. To achieve this, we work to inspire passion for basic research around the world. Our combined passion drives development across the global innovation value chain. Huawei has the largest Research and Development organization in the world with 96,000+ employees in research centers around the globe. In the UK, we already have design centers in Cambridge, London, Edinburgh and Ipswich. We continue to explore and define new research directions and new services. We have expanded our collaborations with academic researchers; researched new network architectures, integration of communications and key enabling technologies; and developed the fundamental theories of these technologies.

We invite you to join us on this exciting journey and drive your career forward.