AI Hardware System Architect - San Jose, California, United States
$250,000 - $350,000 USD yearly
Originally posted 18 August 2026 by the employer.
Architect rack-scale hardware that utilizes RDU (Reconfigurable Dataflow Unit) technology.
About the role
This role involves architecting RDU-based server and rack platforms, including SambaRack-class server design and the scale-up/scale-out interconnect fabric.
What you'll do
- Define the architecture of RDU-based server and rack platforms, translating product and customer requirements into system specifications.
- Select and validate major system components, balancing performance, power envelope, and manufacturability.
- Architect the scale-up and scale-out interconnect fabric, choosing topology, switch/NIC hardware, and optics.
- Own the power delivery architecture, including high-density/48V-class distribution, and the cooling strategy (air and liquid).
- Evaluate ODM/OEM and component vendor proposals against system requirements.
- Define the bring-up, validation, and qualification plan for each new platform, including reliability (RAS) and telemetry targets.
What you'll need
- B.S. or M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent practical experience.
- 12+ years architecting hardware systems for hyperscale, HPC, or AI/ML infrastructure.
- Deep, hands-on background in at least one systems domain, such as interconnect, power delivery, thermal/cooling, or mechanical, for large-scale AI accelerator, HPC, or hyperscale systems.
- Experience owning system architecture at board, rack, or cluster scale, including writing specifications for other engineering teams and vendors.
- A track record of carrying a system through architecture definition, bring-up, and volume production.
- Direct experience holding external vendors and ODM/OEM partners accountable to a technical specification.
Nice to have
- Hands-on experience with AI accelerator platforms (RDU, GPU, TPU, or custom ASIC) and the fabrics that scale them up and out.
- Fluency in chip- and package-level design to work as a peer with silicon and packaging architects.
- Experience standing up a new engineering function, review process, or design practice from scratch.
Skills: RDU-based server, rack platforms, scale-up/scale-out fabric, power delivery architecture, cooling strategy
This role has been open 59 days — slightly above the 51-day median for Hardware Systems Engineering roles.
Hardware Systems Engineering · AI ML Hardware
|
Open roles in category
953
|
Median days open
51 d
|
Median salary
$156k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, skills in demand, and who else is hiring
| Metric | SambaNova | All employers we track in this specialty (953 roles · 102 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 4 | 953 |
| Open roles in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family | 23 | 6157 · 145 employers |
| Median days open | 59 d | 51 d (+8 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $156k |
Skills observed across this category: RDU-based server, rack platforms, scale-up/scale-out fabric, power delivery architecture, cooling strategy
Who's hiring in this category
- Intel Corporation · 68 open roles · median 34 d
- KLA Corporation · 64 open roles · median 44 d
- Teradyne · 56 open roles · median 28 d
- NVIDIA · 51 open roles · median 67 d
- Applied Materials · 49 open roles · median 64 d
- AMD · 47 open roles · median 48 d
How we counted: 953 open Hardware Systems Engineering (AI ML Hardware) roles from 102 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 16 Oct 2026. Specialty figures count only roles carrying this exact specialty label, so an employer's related work in neighbouring specialties is not included there — it is counted in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family row. Figures refresh nightly.