AVP-Software Solution Engineer

191 Altera Corporation; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 232,000 - 375,000; Full time

Job summary

Altera is building the software stack that takes our FPGAs from silicon to the host application. We are seeking an AVP, Software Solution Engineering to own the architecture of that full stack and lead the team delivering its top layers: the host application layer and the framework/integration layer that interfaces with external platforms.

You will set interface contracts to stabilize cross‑layer development and own production decisions.

Qualifications

• Requires Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
• Advanced degree (Master's or Ph.D.) preferred.
• 15+ years of experience in software engineering, architecture, or platform development, with leadership experience.

Responsibilities

• Architect a multi-layer software stack end to end—from host application to framework/integration, accelerated services and libraries, runtime and data movement, drivers, and FPGA hardware.
• Own delivery of the top two layers: host application layer and framework/integration layer/API integration with host frameworks and environments.
• Define and enforce stable interface contracts between layers to allow lower layers to develop against a fixed spec.
• Serve as architecture-level counterpart to external platform providers, co-designing alongside their SDKs.
• Lead and grow a small team of software engineers maintaining the stack you own.
• Collaborate with solution architects and engineers on customer proofs-of-concept built on your production stack.
• Track and adapt to roadmaps of host platforms and dependencies as they evolve.

Skills

Leadership experience

APIs/SDKs architecture

Multi-layer software stacks

Education

Bachelor's degree in a related field

Advanced degree preferred

Tools

APIs/SDKs

Frameworks

Platform integrations

Job description

Job Details

Altera is building the software stack that takes our FPGAs from silicon all the way to the host application — the full path a host‑side application takes down through framework and driver layers to the hardware doing the work. We're looking for an AVP, Software Solution Engineering to own the architecture of that full stack and lead the team building its top layers: the host application layer and the framework/integration layer that sits between it and the accelerated services below. You'll set the interface contracts that let every layer beneath — accelerated services, runtime and data movement, drivers, and the FPGA itself — build against a stable, coherent spec, and you'll often be the technical counterpart to outside platform or framework providers your stack integrates with. This is a hands‑on architecture role, not a slide‑deck role. You'll be making real design decisions about how a host application talks to hardware acceleration underneath it, and you'll lead a small team of engineers shipping and maintaining that stack as a real product — not a one‑off demo.

What You'll Do

• Architect a multi‑layer software stack end to end — from the host application layer down through framework/integration, accelerated services and libraries, runtime and data movement, drivers, and the underlying FPGA hardware — even where you don't own every layer directly.
• Own delivery of the top two layers: the host application layer (application logic, orchestration, tooling for whatever workload runs on top) and the framework/integration layer (SDK and API integration with whatever host frameworks, operating environments, or third‑party platforms the application depends on).
• Define and hold stable interface contracts between layers so teams building the lower layers can develop against a fixed spec rather than a moving target.
• Where the stack integrates with an external platform or framework provider, serve as the architecture‑level technical counterpart — co‑designing, not just consuming their SDK.
• Lead and grow a small team of software engineers building and maintaining the layers you own.
• Partner with solution architects and solution engineers building customer proofs‑of‑concept, ensuring their work is built on top of your production stack rather than diverging from it.
• Track the roadmaps of whatever host platforms, frameworks, or dependencies the stack integrates with, and adapt the architecture as they evolve.

Compensation

$231.5K - $375.0K USD

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field required.
• Advanced degree (Master's or Ph.D.) preferred.
• 15+ years of experience in software engineering, software architecture, or platform development, with significant experience building and delivering complex, multi‑layer software systems.
• Experience leading engineering teams and defining APIs, SDKs, frameworks, or platform integrations is required.
• Experience with hardware‑accelerated computing, FPGA, semiconductor, cloud, AI/ML, or high‑performance computing environments is strongly preferred.

Job Type

Regular Shift: Shift 1 (United States of America)

Primary Location

San Jose, California, United States

Posting Statement

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, religious creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military and veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by local law, regulation, or ordinance.

About Altera

Altera: Accelerating Innovators Altera provides leadership programmable solutions that are easy‑to‑use and deploy in applications from cloud to edge, offering limitless AI possibilities. Our end‑to‑end broad portfolio of products including FPGAs, CPLDs, Intellectual Property, development tools, System on Modules, SmartNICs and IPUs provide the flexibility to accelerate innovation. Altera is helping to shape the future through pioneering innovation that unlocks extraordinary possibilities for everyone on the planet.