Lead Software Solution Architect — FPGA Stack & Platform

altera; 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 all the way to the host application, spanning host app, framework, and driver layers. We seek an AVP, Software Solution Engineering to own the architecture of that stack and lead the team delivering its top layers.

This hands-on architecture role requires making real design decisions, defining stable interfaces, and partnering with external platform providers to ship a production-grade stack with a small, capable team.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in a technical field required; advanced degree preferred.
• Extensive experience leading engineering teams and defining APIs/SDKs/frameworks or platform integrations.
• Experience with hardware-accelerated computing, FPGA, semiconductor, or high-performance environments is highly valued.

Responsibilities

• Architect a multi-layer software stack end to end across host application, framework/integration, accelerated services, runtime, data movement, drivers, and FPGA hardware.
• Own delivery of the top two layers: host application layer and framework/integration layer with SDK/API integration.
• Define and enforce stable interface contracts between layers to avoid moving targets across teams.
• Collaborate with external platform or framework providers as architecture-level counterparts; co-design where needed with their SDK.
• Lead and grow a small team of engineers maintaining and evolving the production stack.
• Partner with solution architects to build customer proofs-of-concept on top of the production stack.
• Track and adapt the architecture as host platforms and dependencies evolve.

Skills

Leadership

APIs/SDKs/Frameworks

Platform integrations

Education

Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field

Advanced degree (Master's or Ph.D.) preferred

Job description

Altera is building the software stack that takes our FPGAs from silicon all the way to the host application, spanning host app, framework, and driver layers. We seek an AVP, Software Solution Engineering to own the architecture of that stack and lead the team delivering its top layers.

This hands-on architecture role requires making real design decisions, defining stable interfaces, and partnering with external platform providers to ship a production-grade stack with a small, capable team.