Datacenter Compute Accelerator Architect

MediaTek; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 211,000 - 356,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Life and disability insurance

Savings plan

Company paid holidays

Sick Leave

Vacation time

Parental leave

401K

Job summary

MediaTek is seeking a senior hardware architect for its Data Center team in California. You will drive microarchitecture for tightly-coupled uncore accelerators, and integrate blocks into the coherent interconnect and memory subsystem to meet latency and bandwidth targets for datacenter workloads.

You will collaborate with kernel and driver teams, optimize PPA trade-offs, and lead RTL implementation and silicon bring-up. 8+ years in CPU/Compute or accelerator architecture preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Computer Science.
• 8+ years of industry experience in CPU/Compute, SoC, or accelerator architecture for datacenter/server silicon.
• Strong knowledge of hardware acceleration algorithms: Cryptography, Tensor Core, Compression, or high-speed packet processing.
• Deep understanding of on-chip coherent fabrics (AMBA AXI/CHI), memory hierarchy, and caching protocols.
• Solid understanding of hardware virtualization technologies (IOMMU/SMMU, PCIe SR-IOV).
• Proficiency in C/C++ and Python for architectural modeling and data analysis.
• Experience with AI/ML inference offload and NVMe over Fabrics within compute uncore.
• Experience using gem5 or other architectural simulators for pre-silicon validation.

Responsibilities

• Architecture Definition: define microarchitecture and write specs for tightly-coupled uncore accelerators.
• SoC Integration: integrate accelerator blocks into the coherent interconnect and memory subsystem.
• HW/SW Co-Design: define software programming models, APIs, and descriptor formats.
• Virtualization & Security: implement virtualization and integrate with SMMU/IOMMU for secure execution.
• PPA & Performance Trade-offs: analyze power, performance, and area for datacenter workloads.
• Execution Leadership: lead RTL implementation, verification, and silicon bring-up.

Skills

C/C++ programming

Python scripting

Architectural modeling

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Computer Science

Tools

gem5

Architectural simulators

Job description

MediaTek’s Data Center team is at the forefront of innovation, driving the development of cutting‑edge technologies that power the world's most advanced data centers. We are a dynamic group of system architects, packaging technology developers, and SoC design experts dedicated to creating high-performance, efficient, and reliable solutions. Our team collaborates closely to push the boundaries of technology, ensuring optimal performance, power efficiency, and scalability for data center applications. Join our Data Center team and be a part of the technological revolution that is shaping the future of data centers. If you are passionate about innovation and have the expertise to drive strategic technology development, we would love to hear from you.

Key Responsibilities

• Architecture Definition: Define the microarchitecture and write detailed specifications for tightly-coupled uncore accelerators (e.g., Crypto/Security, Compression/Decompression, DMA engines, Tensor cores, Data Analytics offloads).
• SoC Integration: Integrate accelerator blocks into the coherent interconnect (e.g., AMBA CHI, proprietary NoC) and memory subsystem. Manage data flows to ensure optimal latency and bandwidth utilization without starving CPU cores.
• HW/SW Co-Design: Partner closely with kernel and driver engineers to define software programming models, APIs, and descriptor formats.
• Virtualization & Security: Ensure accelerators support cloud-native environments by implementing robust virtualization (e.g., SR-IOV, PASID) and integrating with memory management units (SMMU/IOMMU) for secure, isolated execution.
• PPA & Performance Trade-offs: Conduct rigorous Power, Performance, and Area (PPA) analysis. Work with performance modeling teams to simulate accelerator throughput and latency under heavy datacenter workloads.
• Execution Leadership: Serve as the technical focal point during RTL implementation, verification, and silicon bring-up, ensuring the final silicon matches architectural intent. Location: open to San Jose, San Diego, Portland and Austin

Main Requirements and Qualifications

• Basic Qualifications
• Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Computer Science.
• Industry Experience: 8+ years of industry experience in CPU/Compute, SoC, or accelerator architecture, with a focus on datacenter, server, storage or networking silicon.
• Domain Expertise: Deep understanding of hardware acceleration algorithms for tasks like Cryptography (AES, SHA, RSA), Tensor Core, Compression (zstd, gzip), or high-speed packet processing.
• Interconnects & Memory: Strong knowledge of on-chip coherent fabrics (AMBA AXI/CHI), memory hierarchy, and caching protocols.
• Virtualization: Solid understanding of hardware virtualization technologies, IOMMU/SMMU, and PCIe standard SR-IOV/scalable IOV.
• Programming: Proficiency in C/C++ for architectural modeling and Python for data analysis.
• Emerging workloads: Familiarity with offloading AI/ML inference, database queries, or storage processing (NVMe over Fabrics) directly within the compute uncore.
• Pre-Silicon Tools: Experience utilizing architectural simulators (gem5) and other performance analysis tools to justify accelerator inclusion vs. software execution.

Salary range: $211,000- $356,000

Employee may be eligible for performance bonus, short and long term incentive programs. Actual total compensation will be dependent upon the individual's skills, experience and qualifications. In addition, MediaTek provides a variety of benefits including comprehensive health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, Company paid holidays, Sick Leave, Vacation time, Parental leave, 401K and more.

MediaTek is an Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.