Hardware Systems Architect / Systems Engineering Lead

The University of Texas at Austin; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 104,000 - 174,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical coverage

Retirement contributions

Vacation and sick leave

Paid holidays

Job summary

The Space and Geophysics Laboratory at The University of Texas at Austin seeks a Hardware Systems Architect / Systems Engineering Lead to drive mission‑critical hardware design and guide ongoing evolution of complex systems. You will serve as a technical leader in hardware architecture, real‑time data paths, firmware‑aware design, and distributed data‑acquisition systems.

The role spans integrating COTS and custom equipment, RF distribution, FPGA/digitizer front‑ends, and RF switch designs for

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in science, applied science, or engineering.
• Experience integrating hardware systems (COTS/custom equipment into racks; RF distribution; FPGA/digitizer data acquisition).
• Designing hardware systems for fault tolerance, high availability across nodes/sites.
• Designing/maintaining APIs and hardware‑software interfaces (register maps, memory‑mapped or streaming) for system integration.
• Ability to design, develop, evaluate, and support large complex systems.
• Strong communication to stakeholders of varying backgrounds.

Responsibilities

• Elicit system scope and requirements from stakeholders for use in designs.
• Lead the hardware systems architecture and design, including components, interactions, and interfaces; manage ongoing evolution.
• Communicate work processes, products, and results to stakeholders through documents, reports, and briefs.
• Participate in project planning and decomposition into components and actionable work units.
• Coordinate with and support stakeholders through life‑cycle from definition to deployment.
• Perform engineering estimates, guide schedules, identify dependencies.
• Conduct engineering evaluations (trade studies, reliability, risk).
• Mentor junior engineering staff and students.
• Other related functions as assigned.

Skills

Hardware systems integration

Systems architecture

RF/data acquisition

Fault-tolerant design

APIs and interface specs

Team mentoring

Effective communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in science, applied science, or engineering

Post‑graduate degree (preferred)

Tools

Jira

MBSE tools

Structurizr

Job description

Hardware Systems Architect / Systems Engineering Lead

Hiring Department: Applied Research Laboratories

Position Open To: All Applicants

Weekly Scheduled Hours: 40

FLSA Status: Exempt from FLSA

Earliest Start Date: Immediately

Position Duration: Expected to Continue

Location: PICKLE RESEARCH CAMPUS

Job Details:

The Space and Geophysics Laboratory (SGL) delivers capabilities to government customers for various applications, from real-time data-intensive network operations spanning geographically distributed sites to standalone remote field systems.

We are seeking a hardware systems architect to lead the design of mission-critical hardware systems and to manage the architecture for their ongoing evolution and update. They will serve as a technical leader within the laboratory in the areas of hardware systems architecture, real-time and streaming data paths, firmware-aware design, and distributed data‑acquisition systems.

The work spans integrating COTS and custom equipment into racks of equipment that support specialized datacenter processing and remote GNSS data collection at sites around the world, the development of custom GNSS receivers that combine commercial servers with FPGAs and perform direct digitization of incoming RF signals for processing, and RF distribution, splitter, and switch designs.

As a key member of a team of engineers, you will be responsible for eliciting systems scope from stakeholders, guiding the development of requirements, translating requirements into systems designs, guiding the decomposition of those systems into components of actionable units of work, and advising all stakeholders throughout the life‑cycle, from systems definition to implementation. This role is primarily a design and architecture role, with limited field‑deployment travel.

Responsibilities

• Elicit system scope and requirements from stakeholders for use in systems designs;
• Lead the development and evaluation of the hardware systems architecture and design, including scope, requirements, components, interactions, and interfaces, and manage the architecture for the ongoing evolution and update of those systems;
• Communication of work process, products, and results, including documentation, written reports, and briefs presented to stake‑holders;
• Participate in project planning and project decomposition into components and actionable units of work;
• Coordinate with and provide support to stakeholders throughout the life‑cycle of the systems definition, design, implementation, integration, and deployment;
• Perform engineering estimates, guide project schedules, and identify dependencies;
• Conduct engineering evaluations, such as trade studies, reliability analysis, functional analysis, risk analysis assessments;
• Mentoring of junior engineering staff, technicians and students.
• Other related functions as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in science, applied science, or engineering
• Three years of relevant professional work experience.
• Demonstrated experience integrating hardware systems (e.g. COTS/custom equipment into racks, RF signal distribution/switching, or FPGA/digitizer‑based data acquisition)
• Demonstrated experience designing hardware systems for fault tolerance, high availability, and operational continuity across multiple nodes or sites
• Experience in designing/maintaining formal APIs and Interface Specifications, including the hardware‑software interfaces (e.g. register maps, memory‑mapped or streaming data interfaces, device driver/control‑plane contracts) that integrate hardware components into the broader system
• Demonstrated ability to design, develop, evaluate, and support the development of large and complex systems.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including demonstrated ability to communicate technical detail to staff and stakeholders of varying backgrounds and experiences.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively, both independently and collaboratively, with a strong commitment to contribution and enabling the entire team.
• Demonstrated ability to make architectural decisions balancing performance, reliability, and operational complexity

US Citizen: Applicant selected will be subject to a government security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified information at the level appropriate to the project requirements of the position.

Preferred Qualifications

• Post‑graduate degree in systems engineering, engineering management, engineering mechanics, operations research, industrial engineering, electrical engineering, or related field;
• More than 12 years relevant professional work experience in the architecting and/or design of FPGA, RF, real‑time, embedded, or distributed data‑acquisition systems
• Immediate or previous eligibility to classified information.
• Specialized study, research, or work‑experience with a specific emphasis on direct RF digitization, custom GNSS receiver front‑ends, and/or RF distribution, splitter, and switch designs;
• Specialized study, research, or work‑experience with real‑time / streaming data, firmware, and distributed hardware systems, including high‑speed data paths from digitizers/FPGAs to host systems (e.g. memory‑mapped, DMA, or serial/fabric links), real‑time data streams, and the transport interfaces that connect hardware to the broader system;
• Work experience specific to GNSS observation and navigation data, and/or GNSS data collection systems;
• Experience with multidisciplinary hardware integration such as sensor integration, precision leveling/pointing, or field metrology (e.g. systems combining optics/telescopes, GNSS, and gravimeters);
• Demonstrated experience using Jira or similar work‑tracking and project‑management tools;
• Experience with model‑based systems engineering (MBSE) tools and techniques (experience with Structurizr is a plus);
• Cumulative GPA of 3.0

General Notes

An agency designated by the federal government handles the investigation as to the requirement for eligibility for access to classified information. Factors considered during this investigation include but are not limited to allegiance to the United States, foreign influence, foreign preference, criminal conduct, security violations, drug involvement, the likelihood of continuation of such conduct, etc.

Benefits

• 100% employer‑paid basic medical coverage
• Retirement contributions
• Paid vacation and sick time
• Paid holidays

Salary Range

$104,000-$174,000+/negotiable depending on qualifications

Working Conditions

• Standard office conditions
• Repetitive use of a keyboard at a workstation
• Use of manual dexterity
• Some weekend, evening and holiday work
• Possible interstate/intrastate travel

Required Materials

• Resume/CV
• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest
• Unofficial college transcript

Employment Eligibility

Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University‑Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

Retirement Plan Eligibility

The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

Background Checks

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

Pay Transparency

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

Employment Eligibility Verification

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

E-Verify

• E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

Compliance

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031. The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.