Principal Heterogeneous Systems Architect

City of Shakopee, MN; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) and profit-sharing plan

Flexible time off plans

Tuition reimbursement

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Job summary

The City of Shakopee, MN is seeking a Distinguished Compute Architect to develop innovative computing architectures for next-gen systems. This role requires strong collaboration across teams and extensive experience in system architecture and heterogeneous computing.

Ideal candidates will have a BS degree in a related field and over 10 years of experience. The position emphasizes mentoring, leading technology strategies, and contributing to a diverse work culture with a commitment to employee wellbeing.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in compute architecture.
• Deep understanding of CPUs, GPUs, FPGAs, and hardware accelerators.
• Experience with HW/SW co-design and performance modeling.

Responsibilities

• Develop and evaluate diverse compute architectures.
• Lead cross-layer co-design of hardware and software.
• Build and validate architectural concepts through prototyping.

Skills

System architecture

Heterogeneous computing

Programming (C/C++, Python)

Real-time processing

Education

BS degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field

MS or PhD preferred

Tools

FPGA toolchains

OpenCL

CUDA

Job description

We are seeking a Distinguished Compute Architect to join the CTO Office and lead the conception, prototyping, and evaluation of heterogeneous computing architectures for next‑generation test and measurement systems. This role sits at the intersection of hardware, software, and system architecture, with a mandate to explore how emerging compute paradigms—CPUs, GPUs, FPGAs, accelerators, and custom silicon—can be applied to radically improve performance, latency, determinism, scalability, and energy efficiency in advanced measurement platforms.

As a senior technical leader, you will operate with a high degree of autonomy, partnering across research, product development, and software teams to influence long‑term technology direction and near‑term architectural decisions.

Responsibilities

• Architectural Innovation
  • Develop and evaluate novel heterogeneous compute architectures for advanced test and measurement systems, spanning data acquisition, real‑time signal processing, analytics, and control.
  • Explore architectural tradeoffs across CPUs, GPUs, FPGAs, DSPs, NPUs, and custom accelerators, including memory hierarchies and interconnects.
  • Translate emerging compute and system technologies into actionable architectural concepts and prototypes.
• HW/SW/System Co‑Design
  • Lead cross‑layer co‑design across hardware, firmware, bus architectures, runtime, operating systems, drivers, and application software.
  • Define partitioning strategies between host, accelerator, and real‑time domains to meet performance, latency, and determinism requirements.
  • Influence software abstractions, APIs, and programmability models that enable scalable heterogeneous systems.
• Concept Development and Prototyping
  • Build and validate architectural concepts using modeling, simulation, and hands‑on prototyping.
  • Evaluate performance, power, cost, and scalability through benchmarks, proof‑of‑concepts, and silicon/software experiments.
  • Partner with internal labs or external ecosystems to validate feasibility and readiness.
• Technology Strategy and Thought Leadership
  • Contribute to CTO‑level technology roadmaps and long‑range research initiatives.
  • Track and assess industry, academic, and open‑source developments in heterogeneous computing, accelerators, and system architecture.
  • Communicate architectural insights clearly to both technical and executive audiences.
• Cross‑Functional Collaboration
  • Work closely with product engineering, R&D, silicon, software, and platform teams to influence future products.
  • Mentor engineers and architects, raising architectural rigor and system‑level thinking across the organization.

WHO YOU ARE:

You introduce new ways of looking at problems. You encourage diverse thinking to promote and nurture innovation. You partner with others to get work done. You are confident under pressure. You maintain a positive attitude despite adversity. You scan the environment for new technical skills, knowledge, or capabilities that can benefit business or personal performance. You readily learn and adopt new technologies.

Required Qualifications

• BS degree (MS or PhD preferred) in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field.
• 10+ years of professional experience in system, platform, compute architecture or equivalent commensurate with the level of this role.
• Deep understanding of heterogeneous computing systems, including:
  • CPUs, GPUs, FPGAs, and hardware accelerators
  • Memory systems, cache coherence, and high‑speed busses and interconnects
  • Real‑time and high‑throughput processing constraints
• Experience with HW/SW co‑design, including performance modeling and architectural trade studies.
• Strong programming experience in one or more of: C/C++, Python, CUDA, OpenCL, SYCL, or HDL (Verilog/VHDL).
• Proven ability to translate abstract architectural ideas into prototypes, benchmarks, or validated concepts.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to explain complex ideas across disciplines.
• Authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship now and in the future.
  • Individuals with temporary visas such as E, F‑1 (including those with OPT or CPT), H‑1, H‑2, L‑1, B, J or TN, or who need sponsorship for work authorization now or in the future, are not eligible for hire.

Preferred Qualifications

• 15+ years of experience in system, platform, or compute architecture.
• Experience in test and measurement, instrumentation, RF systems, signal processing, or high‑performance data acquisition.
• Background in real‑time systems, deterministic latency, or safety‑critical architectures.
• Familiarity with FPGA toolchains, high‑level synthesis, or heterogeneous runtime environments.
• Exposure to custom silicon, chiplet‑based systems, or advanced packaging.
• Experience working in a CTO office, advanced research group, or incubator environment.

Our Culture & Commitment to You

We recognize that for our organization to support a diverse workforce, we must focus on employee wellbeing. We know that to do your best work, you must have flexible, competitive benefit plans to meet you and your family’s physical, mental, financial, and social needs. We provide a market‑leading 401(k) and profit‑sharing plan, a variety of medical insurance plans, with dental and vision coverage, family formation benefits in addition to paid parental leave (maternal and paternal), Employee Assistance Program, tuition reimbursement, employee resource groups, recognition, and much more. Our culture prioritizes work‑life balance and offers flexible time off plans, inclusive of vacation, holiday, and sick leave. Our goal is to offer a strong benefits foundation while allowing employees the flexibility to choose options that best suit their needs.

At Emerson, we are committed to fostering a culture where every employee is valued and respected for their unique experiences and perspectives. We believe a diverse and inclusive work environment contributes to the rich exchange of ideas and diversity of thoughts, that inspires innovation and brings the best solutions to our customers.

This philosophy is fundamental to living our company’s values and our responsibility to leave the world in a better place. Learn more about our Culture & Values and about Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Emerson.

Our training programs and initiatives focus on end‑to‑end development, from onboarding through senior leadership. We provide a wide range of development opportunities, including face‑to‑face and virtual training, mentorship and coaching, project management, and on‑the‑job training.