Principal Engineer, System Architecture

Altera•San Jose, CA

About The Position

Altera is seeking a highly experienced Principal Engineer, System Architecture to lead the definition and execution of next-generation secure system architectures. In this role, you will serve as a domain expert, driving technical strategy and influencing architecture decisions across complex hardware and software ecosystems. You will work at the intersection of system design, security architecture, and product execution—partnering with cross-functional teams to deliver scalable, high-performance, and secure solutions for FPGA-based platforms. This position requires a deep technical background, strategic thinking, and the ability to lead through influence across engineering organizations and industry stakeholders.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or related field
Strong understanding of System, Software & Firmware Design, with a minimum of 15 years of experience in design and architecture
10+ years of experience in Security architecture and design for ASIC, CPU, or FPG
12+ years of experience working in a complex cross-functional environment
12+ years of experience leading large-scale system architecture initiatives and driving products from concept to production

Responsibilities

Architect and define security system requirements, use cases, system flows, security systems architecture, and specifications that integrate and optimize security hardware and software solutions.
Develop, test, and modify new and existing security systems or applications to improve quality and performance standards.
Evaluate threat models against functional features and architect security hardening solutions to eliminate risks to system integrity or confidentiality exposure.
Conduct security risk assessments and audits to identify threats, consequences, and vulnerabilities to key assets, products, and services.
Develop strategies, enforce threat modeling practices, and address identified control gaps.
Design, build, deliver, and operate security solutions that drive standards and efficiency across the ecosystem.
Perform testing and debugging of security systems, analyze traces to determine root cause of defects, and develop debug and analysis tools.
Manage provisioning and configuration while ensuring reliability of systems, platforms, and security-centric integrations.
Determine integrated hardware, software, and data architecture solutions that meet performance, scalability, reliability, and security requirements.
Drive internal readiness across design, validation, and testing for security features, as well as external readiness with customers, manufacturers, and vendors to scale solutions.
Collaborate with cross-functional engineering teams to design innovative enhancements for security systems aligned with customer and market expectations.
Maintain comprehensive documentation of specifications, architectures, and best practices.
Serve as a recognized domain expert who influences and drives technical direction across Altera and the broader industry.
Develop and mentor technical leaders, foster engineering excellence, and act as a change agent within the organization.
Align organizational goals with technical vision, formulate strategy, and deliver leadership solutions with a proven track record of execution from concept to production.