CAE Senior Principal Software Architect (Design)

divergent; Torrance (CA); On-site; USD 190,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Divergent is seeking a Senior Principal Software Architect to define and advance architecture for complex engineering applications and shared software capabilities across programs. You will lead the creation of scalable frameworks, GPU-enabled workflows, and cross-team architectural standards.

You will mentor engineers, drive architectural decisions, and ensure reliability and extensibility across desktop and web-based CAE systems in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience defining software architecture for complex desktop applications or CAE systems.
• Proven expertise in interactive 3D application architecture and high-performance software.
• Experience defining shared frameworks and reusable platform components.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute architectural strategies for interactive 3D desktop and web-based CAE apps across projects.
• Lead architecture of scalable GPU compute orchestration and resource management.
• Develop architectural standards and reusable capabilities for the DES and Platform IPT.
• Influence technical roadmaps and align investments with long-term design objectives.
• Provide architectural guidance to multiple teams and mentor engineers.
• Lead architecture reviews and major design decisions across programs.

Skills

Software architecture

3D graphics

GPU compute

Leadership

Strategy

Job description

Divergent is building the new industrial age. Every day, our teams design, manufacture, and assemble advanced systems for some of the world's most demanding industries. Our integrated engineering and manufacturing platform transforms complex designs into production-ready solutions, helping customers move faster, build smarter, and deliver critical systems when they matter most. Divergent is a qualified Tier 1 supplier to global automotive OEMs and supports leading U.S. aerospace and defense companies.

Join us and help push the boundaries of what can be built.

Purpose

Divergent's Design and Engineering Systems (DES) organization is seeking a Senior Principal Software Architect (E8) to define and advance the architecture of complex engineering applications and shared software capabilities across multiple programs and product areas.

This role serves as a functional technical advisor, applying deep expertise in desktop application architecture, interactive 3D systems, and computational engineering software to address emerging technical challenges and drive innovation with broad business impact.

The Senior Principal Software Architect establishes and executes architectural strategies, leads major technical initiatives, and influences the development of scalable application frameworks and GPU-enabled computational infrastructure. Working across DES, Platform, and related engineering functions, this individual ensures architectural consistency, reduces systemic technical risk, and enables multiple teams to deliver high-quality engineering software at scale.

The Role

• Define and execute architectural strategies for interactive 3D desktop and web-based CAE applications spanning multiple projects, programs, and product areas.
• Establish shared application frameworks, architecture standards, and reusable software capabilities that support development across the DES organization.
• Lead the architecture of scalable GPU compute orchestration, clustered GPU job scheduling, and resource management for computationally intensive engineering workflows.
• Anticipate emerging technical challenges and develop solutions to complex problems spanning application architecture, graphics rendering, UI frameworks, computational workloads, and platform integration.
• Drive major technical initiatives that improve software scalability, application performance, development efficiency, and architectural consistency across multiple programs.
• Establish architectural principles and technical decision frameworks that guide software design, technology selection, and cross-team implementation.
• Resolve systemic technical dependencies and integration challenges across desktop applications, shared services, computational design systems, and engineering platforms.
• Influence technical roadmaps and architectural priorities across DES and Platform IPT, aligning investments with long-term computational design and engineering objectives.
• Provide functional architectural guidance to engineering teams and senior technical contributors, ensuring complex systems are designed for reliability, maintainability, and extensibility.
• Lead architecture reviews and major technical design decisions, balancing program requirements with broader system-level considerations.
• Establish approaches for integrating topology optimization, computational geometry, CAE solvers, and GPU-accelerated computation into cohesive engineering applications.
• Mentor senior and staff-level engineers and strengthen architectural decision-making and technical leadership across multiple teams.
• Represent the function in high-impact technical discussions with engineering leadership, platform stakeholders, customers, and vendors as appropriate.
• Evaluate architectural risks, emerging technologies, and technology investments that may affect multiple programs or product areas.

Basic Qualifications

• Ability to lawfully access information and technology subject to U.S. export controls.
• Extensive experience defining software architecture for complex desktop applications, CAE systems, engineering platforms, or comparable industrial software.
• Demonstrated expertise in interactive 3D application architecture, graphics rendering, UI frameworks, and high-performance software systems.
• Proven ability to define and execute technical strategies spanning multiple projects, programs, or product areas.
• Experience developing shared software frameworks, architectural standards, and reusable platform capabilities adopted across teams.
• Demonstrated ability to solve unique, complex technical problems spanning multiple systems or engineering disciplines.
• Experience architecting GPU compute infrastructure, distributed execution systems, or computational job orchestration.
• Strong judgment in making high-impact architectural decisions and balancing competing technical and program requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to influence technical direction across organizational boundaries and advise engineering