System Architect, Custom Silicon

Global Foundries; Richardson (TX); On-site; USD 171,000 - 296,000; Full time

Job summary

GlobalFoundries seeks a Senior Principal System Architect to lead the definition, architecture, and technical strategy for cutting-edge semiconductor products from concept to production. You will translate market and customer needs into scalable system architectures and align hardware, software, silicon design, verification, and product engineering teams.

You will drive architecture tradeoffs, define system use cases, and own requirements management, collaborating with global teams to ensure

Qualifications

• Proven track record defining and delivering complex semiconductor products from architecture through production.
• Strong experience in system architecture for ASICs, SoCs, MCUs, networking, automotive, aerospace, or data infrastructure products.
• Deep understanding of processor architectures, memory hierarchies, interconnect fabrics, security architectures, and system-level design methodologies.
• Experience developing architecture specifications, requirements management frameworks, and performance models.
• Strong knowledge of hardware/software co-design methodologies.
• Experience working across Architecture, RTL Design, Verification, DFT, Physical Design, Software, Validation, and Product Engineering organizations.
• Ability to perform complex system tradeoff analysis involving power, performance, area, cost, reliability, and schedule considerations.
• Strong customer-facing communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Demonstrated leadership of large cross-functional engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end system architecture development for complex semiconductor products from concept through production.
• Translate customer, market, and business requirements into complete system-level architectures and technical specifications.
• Define product partitioning across hardware, software, firmware, security, and system management functions.
• Develop architecture specifications including performance, power, area, cost, reliability, safety, and scalability requirements.
• Drive processor, memory, interconnect, security, networking, storage, and peripheral subsystem architecture decisions.
• Lead architecture tradeoff studies and recommend optimal solutions balancing performance, power, cost, schedule, and risk.
• Define system use cases, workloads, operating modes, performance models, and validation criteria.
• Own system-level requirements management, traceability, and architecture documentation.
• Collaborate with customers, business teams, and engineering organizations to align product capabilities with market needs.
• Drive IP strategy including internal IP reuse, third-party IP evaluation, selection, integration, and roadmap alignment.
• Develop performance, power, bandwidth, latency, and capacity models to guide architecture decisions.
• Partner with Design, Verification, DFT, Physical Design, Software, Product Engineering, and Validation teams to ensure architecture implementation success.
• Lead technical reviews and architecture signoffs throughout the product lifecycle.
• Drive risk identification, mitigation planning, and technical decision-making across multiple programs.
• Mentor architects and senior technical contributors across the organization.
• Act as the primary technical interface for key customers, partners, and executive stakeholders on architecture-related topics.

Skills

System architecture

Hardware/software co-design

Cross-functional leadership

Customer-facing communication

Architecture tradeoff analysis

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering or Computer Science

Master's degree or PhD in relevant field

Job description

Senior Principal System Architect

About GlobalFoundriesGlobalFoundries is a leading full-service semiconductor foundry providing a unique combination of design, development, and fabrication services to leading technology companies globally. For more information, visit www.gf.com.IntroductionWe are seeking a highly experienced and innovative Senior Principal System Architect to lead the definition, architecture, and technical strategy of complex semiconductor products spanning ASICs, SoCs, MCUs, networking, automotive, aerospace, and infrastructure markets. This role is responsible for translating customer and market requirements into scalable system architectures and driving technical alignment across hardware, software, silicon design, verification, validation, and product engineering teams.The ideal candidate combines deep system-level expertise, strong technical leadership, and proven experience delivering successful semiconductor products from concept through production.

Your Job

• Lead end-to-end system architecture development for complex semiconductor products from concept through production
• Translate customer, market, and business requirements into complete system-level architectures and technical specifications
• Define product partitioning across hardware, software, firmware, security, and system management functions
• Develop architecture specifications including performance, power, area, cost, reliability, safety, and scalability requirements
• Drive processor, memory, interconnect, security, networking, storage, and peripheral subsystem architecture decisions
• Lead architecture tradeoff studies and recommend optimal solutions balancing performance, power, cost, schedule, and risk
• Define system use cases, workloads, operating modes, performance models, and validation criteria
• Own system-level requirements management, traceability, and architecture documentation
• Collaborate with customers, business teams, and engineering organizations to align product capabilities with market needs
• Drive IP strategy including internal IP reuse, third-party IP evaluation, selection, integration, and roadmap alignment
• Develop performance, power, bandwidth, latency, and capacity models to guide architecture decisions
• Partner with Design, Verification, DFT, Physical Design, Software, Product Engineering, and Validation teams to ensure architecture implementation success
• Lead technical reviews and architecture signoffs throughout the product lifecycle
• Drive risk identification, mitigation planning, and technical decision-making across multiple programs
• Mentor architects and senior technical contributors across the organization
• Act as the primary technical interface for key customers, partners, and executive stakeholders on architecture-related topics

Other Responsibilities

Perform all activities in a safe and responsible manner and support Environmental, Health, Safety & Security requirements. Foster innovation, technical excellence, and continuous improvement within the architecture organization. Contribute to long-term technology roadmaps and strategic planning activities.

Required Qualifications

• Proven track record defining and delivering complex semiconductor products from architecture through production
• Strong experience in system architecture for ASICs, SoCs, MCUs, networking, automotive, aerospace, or data infrastructure products
• Deep understanding of processor architectures, memory hierarchies, interconnect fabrics, security architectures, and system-level design methodologies
• Experience developing architecture specifications, requirements management frameworks, and performance models
• Strong knowledge of hardware/software co-design methodologies
• Experience working across Architecture, RTL Design, Verification, DFT, Physical Design, Software, Validation, and Product Engineering organizations
• Ability to perform complex system tradeoff analysis involving power, performance, area, cost, reliability, and schedule considerations
• Strong customer-facing communication and stakeholder management skills
• Demonstrated leadership of large cross-functional engineering teams
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related discipline

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field
• 18+ years of experience architecting networking, automotive, industrial, aerospace, AI/ML, security, or embedded computing products
• Deep expertise in one or more domains including processor architecture, memory systems, networking protocols, security architecture, embedded systems, or functional safety
• Experience with third-party IP ecosystems, standards bodies, and industry specifications
• Experience defining hardware/software platforms and reference architectures
• Familiarity with functional safety, cybersecurity, and reliability requirements for mission-critical applications
• Proven history of first-pass silicon success and successful product deployment
• Experience working across global engineering organizations including the US and India

Expected Salary Range

Expected Salary Range$171,000.00 - $296,000.00The exact Salary will be determined based on qualifications, experience and location.

Accommodation

If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by email at [e-mail] and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Requests for accommodation will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please note that only inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address.

Equal Opportunity

An offer with GlobalFoundries is conditioned upon the successful completion of pre-employment conditions, as applicable, and subject to applicable laws and regulations. GlobalFoundries is fully committed to equal opportunity in the workplace and believes that cultural diversity within the company enhances its business potential. GlobalFoundries goal of excellence in business necessitates the attraction and retention of highly qualified people. Artificial barriers and stereotypic biases detract from this objective and may be illegally discriminatory. All policies and processes which pertain to employees including recruitment, selection, training, utilization, promotion, compensation, benefits, extracurricular programs, and termination are created and implemented without regard to age, ethnicity, ancestry, color, marital status, medical condition, mental or physical disability, national origin, race, religion, political and/or third-party affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other characteristic or category specified by local, state or federal law.

Equal Opportunity (duplicate)

An offer with GlobalFoundries is conditioned upon the successful completion of pre-employment conditions, as applicable, and subject to applicable laws and regulations. GlobalFoundries is fully committed to equal opportunity in the workplace and believes that cultural diversity within the company enhances its business potential. GlobalFoundries goal of excellence in business necessitates the attraction and retention of highly qualified people. Artificial barriers and stereotypic biases detract from this objective and may be illegally discriminatory. All policies and processes which pertain to employees including recruitment, selection, training, utilization, promotion, compensation, benefits, extracurricular programs, and termination are created and implemented without regard to age, ethnicity, ancestry, color, marital status, medical condition, mental or physical disability, national origin, race, religion, political and/or third-party affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status, or any other characteristic or category specified by local, state or federal law.