SOC Architect at OpenAI — task breakdown

SOC Architect | OpenAI Careers ## SOC Architect Hardware - San Francisco Apply now(opens in a new window) **About the Team** Our mission at OpenAI is to discover and enact the path to safe, beneficial AGI. To do this, we believe that many technical breakthroughs are needed in generative modeling, reinforcement learning, large scale optimization, active learning, among other topics. The Scaling team builds robust and scalable software and hardware to support our research efforts. It also offers core development services for mission critical goals and applications. We’re expanding our team to work more closely with our partners on hardware optimization and co-design, and are looking for engineers who cut across the stack from at scale ML model/workload understanding through system architecture to microarchitecture. This team will be responsible for working with partners to optimize their hardware for our workloads from early concept stage through production. **About the Role** We are seeking an experienced SoC Architect to lead the definition and development of next-generation custom AI silicon for edge deployments. This role will be responsible for shaping the architecture of highly efficient, high-performance SoCs optimized for machine learning inference and on-device intelligence. You will work cross-functionally with internal engineering teams and external ecosystem partners to translate product requirements into scalable silicon solutions, driving execution from concept through delivery. **In this role you will:** * Define the architecture and technical roadmap for custom SoCs targeted for edge applications. * Drive system-level tradeoff analysis across compute, memory, interconnect, power, thermal, and cost constraints. * Architect energy-efficient ML compute subsystems optimized for inference workloads and real-world deployment environments. * Collaborate with internal hardware, software, systems, and product teams to align architecture with platform needs. * Partner with external silicon vendors, IP providers, and manufacturing partners to execute development plans. * Lead hardware/software co-design efforts to maximize performance per watt and end-to-end system efficiency. * Guide implementation teams through microarchitecture, RTL development, validation, and bring-up phases. * Operate effectively in agile development environments and help teams deliver against aggressive schedules and milestones. **You might thrive in this role if:** * Proven experience defining and delivering complex SoC or ASIC architectures from concept to production. * Deep understanding of AI/ML accelerators, edge inference workloads, and energy-efficient compute design. * Strong knowledge of SoC subsystems including CPU/GPU/NPU architectures, memory hierarchies, interconnects, and power management. * Experience working with both internal engineering organizations and external strategic partners. * Ability to lead cross-functional teams in fast-paced, execution-driven environments. * Strong communication skills with the ability to influence technical direction across organizations. **Preferred Qualifications** * Experience with edge AI devices, embedded systems, or consumer hardware platforms. * Background in performance modeling, silicon cost optimization, and workload-driven architecture. * Familiarity with advanced process nodes and modern semiconductor development flows. *To comply with U.S. export control laws and regulations, candidates for this role may need to meet certain legal status requirements as provided in those laws and regulations.* **About OpenAI** OpenAI is an AI research and deployment company dedicated to ensuring that general-purpose artificial intelligence benefits all of humanity. We push the boundaries of the capabilities of AI systems and seek to safely deploy them to the world through our products. AI is an extremely powerful tool that must be cre

SOC Architect

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