Principal Systems Architect

Career Connections, LLC; Sunnyvale, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Career Connections, LLC is seeking a seasoned Networking Architecture leader for a fulltime remote-based role. You will articulate high-level system architecture requirements, drive input into product roadmaps, and engage with hyperscalers, OEMs, and customers to shape next-gen compute, AI, storage, and networking solutions.

You will influence standards groups, bridge customer needs with technology strategy, and collaborate with engineering, product, and business units to deliver scalable,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering.
• 12+ years of electrical engineering experience with 5+ years in system-level design in datacenter, compute, networking or storage.
• In-depth hardware signaling knowledge and high-speed engineering expertise.
• Ability to communicate complex concepts to diverse audiences and build external relationships.

Responsibilities

• Act as primary technical liaison with customers, partners, and internal teams to shape next-generation compute, AI, storage, and networking solutions.
• Define high-level system architecture requirements and align roadmaps with customer needs and market trends.
• Lead technical due diligence, influence industry standards discussions, and drive cross-functional execution.

Skills

System-level design

High-speed signaling

Customer engagement

Travel readiness

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

CAD tools

Simulation tools

Job description

Networking Architecture, AI Infrastructure, Fabric Architecture, or Power Architecture

Date:

September 9, 2026

Excellent new fulltime, remote-based role for a growing global company!

This opportunity mixes hands on creation of systems architecture requirements with customer facing responsibilities - you will have input and control while driving product roadmaps.

The company is regularly voted one of the best places to work, offers a clear career path as part of succession planning, and fosters a truly collaborative work environment.

This role will work closely with both internal engineering teams and the customers who purchase their high tech products. Customers include the computer, storage, AI and networking industries. In this hands-on position you will create high-level system architecture requirements while ensuring/driving product roadmaps match customer's next level product needs. Understanding and working with key standards like: OCP, IEEE 802.3, OIF, Ethernet Alliance, UEC, UALink, PCI-SIG, and CXL Consortium. You will have the opportunity to both follow and drive strategy.

Background:

Networking Architecture, AI Infrastructure, Fabric Architecture,or Power Architecture

Preferred standards experience:

OCP, IEEE 802.3, OIF, Ethernet Alliance, UEC, UALink, PCI-SIG, and CXL Consortium

For power architectur e, prioritize experience in 48V power systems, rack power, power shelves, busbars, VRMs, power delivery networks (PDN), thermal architecture, liquid cooling, CDU integration, thermal modeling, CFD, AI factory infrastructure, and hyperscale data center power and cooling systems

OVERVIEW

Technical Leadership & Customer Engagement

• Primary technical liaison customers, actively engaging with hyperscalers, OEMs, and system architects to gain deep insights into next-generation compute, AI, storage, and networking challenges
• Proactively identify and assess technology disruptors, translating emerging trends into strategic R&D initiatives and product development roadmaps to maintain industry leadership
• Cultivate and strengthen customer partnerships, fostering co-development opportunities and collaborative innovation to accelerate next-gen infrastructure advancements
• Drive thought leadership by educating and influencing internal and external stakeholders, from executives and product teams to key decision-makers in customer organizations, on emerging industry trends, technical capabilities, and high-value engineering solutions
• Bridge the gap between customer needs and the technology roadmap, ensuring future-proof, scalable, and high-performance solutions tailored to the evolving data infrastructure landscape

System-Level Architecture & Product Strategy

• Define high-level system architecture requirements, ensuring product roadmap is aligned with next-generation compute, AI, and networking ecosystems
• Drive Technology vision and strategy, ensuring our interconnect solutions support the evolving needs of standards like PCIe, CXL, Ethernet, InfiniBand, and the next-gen AI workloads
• Lead the evaluation of high-speed electrical, optical, and hybrid interconnect solutions, balancing performance, power, latency, cost, and manufacturability
• Collaborate with internal R&D, product development, and business units to shape product development roadmaps based on real-world customer challenges and market trends
• Drive technical due diligence for potential partnerships, acquisitions, and ecosystem collaborations, ensuring the company stays at the forefront of innovation

Standards Development & Industry Influence

• Actively participate in and influence key industry standards groups (e.g., OCP, PCI-SIG, IEEE, Ethernet Alliance, CXL Consortium), ensuring strategic alignment with the future of data communication
• Lead and influence discussions on emerging protocols and interface standards, ensuring the company is at the forefront of next-generation high-speed, low-latency interconnect technologies
• Champion technical leadership by actively contributing to the development of next-gen copper and optical interconnect standards, positioning the company as an industry innovator, ensuring our solutions stay ahead of the competition
• Represent the company at industry forums, conferences, and standards organizations, reinforcing our role as a leader in high-speed interconnect technology and ensuring our strategic perspectives drive industry advancements
• Develop and present thought leadership content, including technical whitepapers, reference designs, keynote presentations, and industry presentations, to amplify the company's influence within the standards community and the broader industry ecosystem

Cross-Functional Leadership & Execution

• Work cross-functionally with engineering, product management, sales, and marketing teams to translate technical insights into compelling product offerings
• Drive the execution of high-impact, innovative technical projects, ensuring seamless alignment between customer needs, business goals, and engineering capabilities
• Guide go-to-market strategy for new interconnect solutions, ensuring that our technical differentiation is clearly communicated and leveraged in competitive landscapes

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering
• >> 12 years of relevant electrical engineering work experience and 5+ years of experience in the system-level design in the datacenter, computer, networking or storage industries
• In-depth knowledge of hardware and associated signaling environments.
• Technical expertise in high-speed engineering and design
• Deep knowledge of computer, networking, AI / ML, or storage architecture.
• Expertise with industry-standard design tools (e.g., simulation, modeling, CAD, or signal integrity analysis)
• The geographically dispersed group requires that the candidate be self-motivating with the ability to take the initiative to accomplish tasks with limited direction
• Ability to clearly communicate technical concepts to diverse audiences
• Effectively able to build relationships with external customers and industry leaders as well as internally across all levels, disciplines, and geographies
• Ability to spend 25%-30% of your time traveling