Sr. Director, SoC Architecture

Ambiq Micro, Inc. • Austin, TX

3d

About The Position

Ambiq is seeking a Senior Director of SOC System Architecture to define the next generation of ultra-low-power AI SoCs for wearables, intelligent edge devices, IoT, and other battery-constrained products. This is a highly influential technical leadership role with broad ownership of SoC architecture, spanning from early product concepts and architectural tradeoffs through implementation, silicon validation, and production. The role involves collaboration across Architecture, Advanced Development, Hardware, Software, Marketing, and customer-facing teams to address the challenge of delivering significantly more intelligence and performance at the edge while consuming dramatically less power. This opportunity is ideal for an experienced SoC architect who wishes to remain closely involved with technology while having a significant impact on future product development.

Requirements

• 15+ years of SoC, processor, microcontroller, or related system architecture experience.
• Proven experience defining and delivering complex SoC architectures from concept through silicon.
• Deep understanding of low-power embedded systems, ideally for wearable, IoT, mobile, or other battery-powered products.
• Strong knowledge of SoC architecture, including CPU/MCU subsystems, memory architecture and topology, fabric/interconnect, clocking and power management, hardware/software partitioning, and power and performance modeling.
• Experience creating architecture and/or microarchitecture specifications used by hardware and software engineering teams.
• Strong cross-functional technical leadership and the ability to influence across engineering disciplines.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• BS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field.
• Candidates must be currently authorized to work in the United States for any employer.

Nice To Haves

• MS or PhD
• Experience with AI/ML accelerators, NPUs, DSPs, GPUs, or heterogeneous compute
• Experience with graphics, display, video, imaging, or computer vision architectures
• Knowledge of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, GPS, or other wireless technologies
• Experience with advanced semiconductor process nodes
• Experience with FPGA prototyping and post-silicon validation

Responsibilities

• Lead architecture definition for Ambiq’s next-generation ultra-low-power AI SoCs from concept through production.
• Define system architecture across processors, memory, interconnect, clocking, power management, and hardware accelerators.
• Drive power, performance, area, and system-level tradeoffs for highly constrained embedded devices.
• Develop architecture and microarchitecture specifications, system dataflows, and power/performance models.
• Make key hardware/software partitioning decisions in partnership with software and systems teams.
• Evaluate internal and third-party IP, including AI/ML accelerators, and influence Ambiq’s long-term technology roadmap.
• Partner with design, verification, FPGA, physical design, and software teams to translate architecture into working silicon.
• Work with customers and product teams to understand critical use cases and translate them into future SoC capabilities.
• Support pre-silicon development, silicon bring-up, post-silicon analysis, and production readiness.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship across Ambiq’s architecture and engineering organization.

Benefits

• Opportunity to influence the architecture behind future generations of intelligent edge devices.
• Work directly with senior technical and business leadership.
• Define what comes next, rather than maintaining someone else's roadmap.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior