System Performance Architect

European Tech Recruit; Amsterdam; On-site; EUR 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

European Tech Recruit is helping an Amsterdam-based technology client hire a System Performance Architect to lead system-level performance engineering across operating systems, hardware, and chipsets. The role focuses on OS performance, kernel scheduling, and hardware-software co-optimization for next generation platforms.

The successful candidate will drive frequency scaling, power and thermal-aware scheduling, and work closely with research, system software, silicon, product, and engineering

Qualifications

• Strong hands-on OS performance optimization experience.
• Proven Linux kernel and kernel scheduling knowledge.
• Experience with CPU/GPU scheduling and SoC performance engineering.
• Ability to translate architecture concepts into implementable solutions.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop system-level performance optimization across OS, hardware, and chipset.
• Work on CPU/GPU/DDR scheduling strategies and workload placement.
• Develop frequency scaling, power management, and thermal-aware scheduling.
• Drive hardware-software co-optimization across kernel and end-device layers.
• Analyze and resolve complex system performance bottlenecks.
• Collaborate with research, system software, and engineering teams to deploy solutions.

Skills

OS performance

Linux kernel

CPU scheduling

Power & thermal

SoC

Heterogeneous computing

Architectural concepts

Performance bottlenecks

English communication

Team collaboration

Job description

We are supporting one of our leading technology clients in Amsterdam with the hiring of a System Performance Architect.

This is a senior technical position focused on operating system performance, kernel scheduling, hardware-software co-optimization, and system-level performance engineering. The successful candidate will work on next-generation operating system technologies and help define technical solutions across CPU, GPU, memory, power, thermal, and application performance.

The role is based in Amsterdam and requires 100% onsite presence.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and develop system-level performance optimization solutions across operating systems, hardware, and chipset platforms.
• Work on CPU/GPU/DDR scheduling strategies, including task prioritization, task grouping, core selection, workload placement, and resource coordination.
• Develop and optimize frequency scaling, power management, and thermal-aware scheduling mechanisms.
• Drive hardware-software co-optimization across the kernel, operating system, chipset, and end-device layers.
• Analyse and resolve complex system performance bottlenecks affecting responsiveness, latency, application interaction, animation smoothness, and overall user experience.
• Design and optimize high-performance core system modules and performance-critical frameworks.
• Research high-performance application APIs, runtime optimization techniques, and application development paradigms.
• Translate emerging industry technologies and academic research into system architecture and technical roadmap proposals.
• Work closely with research, system software, silicon, product, and engineering teams.
• Drive technical solutions from architecture and design through implementation, integration, validation, and deployment on end devices.
• Deliver measurable improvements across performance, power consumption, thermal behaviour, and user experience.

Requirements

• Strong hands-on experience in one or more of the following areas:
• Operating system performance optimization
• Linux, Android, or other OS kernel development
• CPU or GPU scheduling
• System software architecture
• Hardware-software co-optimization
• SoC performance engineering
• Strong understanding of CPU scheduling concepts such as priority management, task placement, task grouping, workload balancing, or core selection.
• Experience with power and performance technologies such as:
• DVFS
• Power management
• Thermal management
• Performance/power/thermal-aware scheduling
• Good understanding of heterogeneous computing and modern multi-core CPU/GPU architectures.
• Experience identifying and resolving complex system-level performance bottlenecks.
• Understanding of application and runtime performance optimization, high-performance APIs, or performance-oriented framework design.
• Ability to take architectural concepts through hands-on implementation and deployment.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
• Ability to collaborate effectively across international research and engineering teams.

Preferred Background

Candidates from organizations with strong operating system, silicon, mobile platform, or system performance engineering teams are particularly relevant.

Experience gained within companies such as Apple, Google, Microsoft, Samsung, or Arm would be highly desirable.

Relevant backgrounds may include:

• System Performance Architect
• Principal / Staff Performance Engineer
• Operating System Architect
• Linux Kernel Engineer / Architect
• Android Kernel Engineer
• CPU Performance Engineer
• SoC Performance Engineer
• Power & Performance Engineer
• Platform Performance Engineer
• System Software Architect
• Kernel Scheduling Engineer

Location

The position is based in Amsterdam, Netherlands and is 100% onsite.

Candidates should either already be based in the Netherlands or be willing to relocate to Amsterdam.