Principal AI Hardware Architect for Vision & XR

Meta; Indianapolis (IN); On-site; USD 208,000 - 289,000; Full time

Job summary

Meta Reality Labs seeks a principal-level AI Systems Engineer to define the hardware architecture strategy for next-generation AI-accelerated computing systems powering VR/AR wearables. You will shape silicon and systems roadmaps for on-device AI inference and training across headsets, wearables, and spatial computing devices.

You will drive imaging and camera pipelines, ISPs, and hardware-software co-design, aligning imaging and AI roadmaps with product and research priorities while

Qualifications

• Minimum Qualifications: 12+ years of experience in hardware systems architecture, with a focus on AI, ML, imaging systems, or high-performance compute systems.
• Minimum Qualifications: Deep expertise in camera pipeline architecture, including image signal processing (ISP), sensor integration, and end-to-end imaging system design.
• Minimum Qualifications: Experience defining SoC or system-level architecture for AI inference or training workloads, including memory subsystem design, compute hierarchy, and interconnect topology.
• Minimum Qualifications: Experience architecting imaging subsystems for real-time computer vision applications, including multi-camera systems, depth sensing, and visual-inertial odometry.
• Minimum Qualifications: Experience with hardware-software co-design methodologies for on-device AI and imaging workloads, including familiarity with ML compiler stacks and ISP tuning workflows.
• Minimum Qualifications: Experience developing system performance models and using simulation or analytical frameworks to evaluate architectural trade-offs at scale.
• Minimum Qualifications: Track record of driving multi-year hardware architecture roadmaps for imaging and AI systems and influencing silicon strategy across large engineering organizations.
• Preferred Qualifications: Expertise in computational photography pipelines, HDR processing, and neural ISP architectures.
• Preferred Qualifications: Experience architecting AI and imaging systems for power- and area-constrained wearable or mobile devices, including VR headsets, AR glasses, or similar spatial computing platforms.
• Preferred Qualifications: Experience evaluating and integrating emerging memory technologies (e.g., HBM, LPDDR5X, in-memory compute) into AI and imaging system architectures.
• Preferred Qualifications: Background in collaborating with ML research and camera teams to translate novel imaging algorithms and model architectures into hardware-efficient deployment targets.
• Preferred Qualifications: Familiarity with custom silicon development flows for imaging and AI accelerators, including architecture-to-RTL handoff, physical design constraints, and post-silicon validation.

Responsibilities

• Define multi-generation hardware architecture strategy for AI inference and training systems across VR, AR, and wearable device platforms.
• Lead system-level architectural exploration and trade-off analysis across compute, memory hierarchy, interconnect fabric, and power delivery for on-device AI workloads.
• Architect end-to-end camera and imaging pipelines, including sensor interfaces, ISP integration, and real-time image processing for computer vision and perception applications.
• Drive hardware-software co-design initiatives by partnering with silicon engineering, firmware, camera systems, and ML platform teams to optimize end-to-end AI and imaging pipeline performance.
• Define architectural requirements for camera subsystems including multi-camera synchronization, depth sensing, and low-latency visual processing for AR/VR applications.
• Establish architectural requirements and performance targets for custom AI accelerators, ISPs, SoCs, and supporting subsystems in spatial computing devices.
• Develop and maintain system performance models and simulation frameworks to evaluate architectural decisions against real-world AI and imaging workload characteristics.
• Provide architectural guidance and technical direction across hardware engineering organizations, aligning imaging and AI roadmaps with product and research priorities.
• Identify and resolve system-level bottlenecks in imaging latency, AI inference throughput, and energy efficiency for wearable and headset form factors.
• Engage with external silicon partners, camera module vendors, and research institutions to evaluate emerging imaging technologies and incorporate them into long-range architecture plans.
• Communicate architectural vision and technical rationale to executive leadership and cross-functional stakeholders through written proposals and design reviews.

Job description

Meta Reality Labs seeks a principal-level AI Systems Engineer to define the hardware architecture strategy for next-generation AI-accelerated computing systems powering VR/AR wearables. You will shape silicon and systems roadmaps for on-device AI inference and training across headsets, wearables, and spatial computing devices.

You will drive imaging and camera pipelines, ISPs, and hardware-software co-design, aligning imaging and AI roadmaps with product and research priorities while