Senior Embedded System Architect

Snap Inc is a technology company. We believe the camera presents the greatest opportunity to improve the way people live and communicate. Snap contributes to human progress by empowering people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together. The Company’s three core products are Snapchat, a visual messaging app that enhances your relationships with friends, family, and the world; Lens Studio, an augmented reality platform that powers AR across Snapchat and other services; and its AR glasses, Spectacles.

 Snap Inc is a technology company. We believe the camera presents the greatest opportunity to improve the way people live and communicate. Snap contributes to human progress by empowering people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together. The Company’s three core products are Snapchat, a visual messaging app that enhances your relationships with friends, family, and the world; Lens Studio, an augmented reality platform that powers AR across Snapchat and other services; and its AR glasses, Spectacles.

We are seeking a highly experienced Embedded System Architect (ESA) with a strong technical background to join our team. The ideal candidate will hold a Master’s or Ph.D. in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, and have a minimum of 7 years of experience in embedded systems design and optimization. This is a senior-level position requiring a proven track record in system-level design, profiling, and optimization of complex SoC architectures.

The ESA will play a key role in characterizing, optimizing, and driving innovation in end-to-end applications on SoC platforms, including shaping the evolution of our Neural Core and identifying opportunities for new hardware and software solutions.
 

Primary Responsibilities

Application Characterization and Mapping

• Collect and monitor SoC application requirements and algorithmic descriptions.

• Identify and characterize input, output, and compute requirements for end-to-end applications/tasks, proposing mappings to SoC processing resources.

• Develop execution models for timing, memory, and bandwidth analysis.

• Identify when available processing resources are insufficient or inefficient (power/area/performance trade-offs) and propose new software or hardware solutions.

• Characterize the performance and I/O behavior of the Neural Core, ensuring its role in key applications.

System Optimization and Orchestration

• Architect and optimize system-level workflows and application pipelines to identify opportunities for memory, bandwidth, and power savings.

• Orchestrate the simultaneous execution of multiple applications on the system for relevant use cases.

• Ensure compatibility and performance of SoC end-to-end applications and workflows, even at multi-SoC levels.

Algorithm Development and Profiling

• Define and partition processing algorithms for AI and computer vision workloads.

• Profile and model partitioned algorithms running on the SoC to identify bottlenecks and areas for improvement.

Educational Requirements:

• Master’s or Ph.D. in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.

Experience:

• At least 7 years of hands-on experience in embedded systems design, SoC architecture, or system-level optimization.

• Proven expertise in application profiling, performance modeling, and algorithm partitioning.

• Experience with AI and computer vision workloads is a significant advantage.

Technical Expertise:

• Strong understanding of embedded systems, hardware/software co-design, and system synchronization.

• Proficiency in performance and memory bandwidth analysis tools.

• Demonstrated ability to propose and implement new IPs or architectural enhancements.

Analytical and Design Skills:

• Track record of identifying system bottlenecks and proposing innovative solutions for hardware and software optimization.

• Experience in defining and executing representative workloads for performance testing.

Collaboration and Leadership:

• Strong communication skills to work effectively with stakeholders, hardware designers, and software engineers.

• Demonstrated ability to mentor and guide teams in system-level optimization and design.

"Default Together" Policy at Snap: At Snap Inc. we believe that being together in person helps us build our culture faster, reinforce our values, and serve our community, customers and partners better through dynamic collaboration. To reflect this, we practice a “default together” approach and expect our team members to work in an office 4+ days per week. 

At Snap, we believe that having a team of diverse backgrounds and voices working together will enable us to create innovative products that improve the way people live and communicate. Snap is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other protected classification, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. EOE, including disability/vets. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please don’t be shy and contact us at accommodations-ext@snap.com.  

If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please don’t be shy and provide us some information.

"Default Together" Policy at Snap: At Snap Inc. we believe that being together in person helps us build our culture faster, reinforce our values, and serve our community, customers and partners better through dynamic collaboration. To reflect this, we practice a “default together” approach and expect our team members to work in an office 4+ days per week. 

At Snap, we believe that having a team of diverse backgrounds and voices working together will enable us to create innovative products that improve the way people live and communicate. Snap is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and committed to providing employment opportunities regardless of race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other protected classification, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws. EOE, including disability/vets.

Our Benefits: Snap Inc. is its own community, so we’ve got your back! We do our best to make sure you and your loved ones have everything you need to be happy and healthy, on your own terms. Our benefits are built around your needs and include paid parental leave, comprehensive medical coverage, emotional and mental health support programs, and compensation packages that let you share in Snap’s long-term success!