Datacenter System Software Architect

SiFive; Maine; On-site; USD 231,444 - 282,876; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health care

Retirement plans

Paid time off

Job summary

A leading technology company in the United States is seeking a datacenter system software architect to design high-performance RISC-V Linux systems. You will architect systems for hyperscaler deployments, engage with customers to integrate requirements, and guide software development. Strong experience with low-level C programming and understanding of system architecture is essential. The role offers a competitive salary range between $231,444 and $282,876, plus benefits including health care and retirement plans.

Qualifications

• Experience defining requirements for x86 or ARM servers.
• Experience with key server requirements.
• Experience developing low-level code in C.
• Strong project leadership skills.

Responsibilities

• Architect systems and software for RISC-V hyperscaler deployments.
• Engage with customers to integrate requirements.
• Guide the development of RISC-V software and firmware.
• Participate in developing RISC-V standards.

Skills

Low-level code development in C

Understanding of computer architecture

Strong communication skills

Project leadership skills

Experience with RISC-V software ecosystem

Tools

Linux distributions

PCIe

Device Tree

ACPI

UEFI

Job description

The Role:

Do you want to be part of the RISC-V revolution? RISC-V and SiFive are redefining computing platforms for the 21st century. As a datacenter system software architect, you’ll play a leading role in designing and implementing high-performance RISC-V Linux systems for datacenters, spanning software and hardware architecture and engineering. At SiFive, engineers work cross-functionally, with full access to our software and hardware codebases.

The home for this role is in SiFive’s Software Architecture group. You’ll architect and write software that takes advantage of SiFive and RISC-V hardware features and integrates cleanly with existing operating systems, primarily Linux. You’ll help author and review architecture specifications for new hardware and software features, and will help plan and execute the work involved in implementation.

Responsibilities:

• Architect systems and system software for hyperscaler deployments based on RISC-V, focusing on software and system architecture and collaborating closely with hardware architects.
• Engage with key customers and partners to integrate their functional and performance requirements, understand key workloads, and ensure that SiFive systems are well-supported in the associated software ecosystems.
• Help guide the development of RISC-V software and firmware stacks for servers, including platform controller firmware, platform firmware, hypervisors, Linux, and application stacks.
• Participate in the development of RISC-V standards pertaining to servers.
• Engage with RISC-V software ecosystem organizations to help guide external development.
• Work with SiFive performance benchmarking and software optimization teams to identify and resolve bottlenecks limiting the performance of the design.
• Help port and optimize modern hypervisors and virtualization stacks to run on RISC-V.
• Drive the adoption and integration of next-generation server extension cards, involving CXL, RDMA, networking and storage offload, and compute accelerators.
• Help plan, estimate, and drive complex software projects.

Requirements:

• Experience defining requirements for x86 or ARM servers for hyperscaler use cases.
• Experience with key server requirements including RAS, telemetry, manageability, and I/O offloading.
• Experience with key application workloads, including distributed databases, AI/ML training/inference, agentic AI, and high-throughput microservices.
• Experience developing low‑level code in C for multiprocessor, multithreaded operating systems such as the Linux kernel, BSD kernels, or other high-level operating systems.
• Understanding of computer architecture at the CPU and system levels, VLSI design concepts and how they impact hardware and software architecture.
• Experience writing and reviewing architecture specifications, both for hardware and software.
• Experience with modern desktop and server ecosystems, including PCIe, Device Tree, ACPI, and UEFI.
• Experience with the RISC‑V ISA and RISC‑V software ecosystem.
• Experience with datacenter Linux distributions such as Debian, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and SLES.
• Strong communication skills.
• Strong project leadership skills, including the ability to develop roadmaps, work breakdowns, and estimates, and drive projects.

Nice to have:

• Experience working with RTL engineers and with RTL product lifecycles.
• Experience with C++ or Rust.
• Experience working in global teams and cross-cultural communication.

Pay & Benefits:

Consistent with SiFive values and applicable law, we provide the following information to promote pay transparency and equity. We have a market-based pay structure which varies by location. Please note that the base pay range is a guideline, and our compensation range reflects the cost of labor in the U.S. geographic market based on the location of the role. Pay within these ranges varies and depends on job-related knowledge, skills, and relevant work experience.

Base Pay Range: $231,444.00 - $282,876.00. In addition to base pay, this role may be eligible for variable or incentive compensation and/or equity. The role is also eligible for a comprehensive, competitive benefit package which may include health care, retirement plans, paid time off, and more.

Additional Information:

This position requires a successful background and reference checks and satisfactory proof of your right to work in the United States of America. Any offer of employment for this position is also contingent on the company verifying that you are authorized for access to export‑controlled technology under applicable export control laws or that the company successfully obtains any necessary export license(s) or other approvals.

SiFive is an equal‑opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

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