Principal Systems Architect
Summary
Principal Systems Architect based at Chilworth Science Park (UK) providing technical leadership for advanced signal-processing/modem communications products — defining system architectures, leading hardware/software trade-offs across software, FPGA and ASIC, and guiding engineering teams and customer engagements. Requires deep 3GPP 5G NR/4G LTE expertise; pays £110,000/year.
Salary: £110,000 - 110,000 per year
Requirements:- Extensive experience in system architecture and developing complex signal-processing, modem or communications products.
- Proven ability to define, analyse and manage complex system and product requirements.
- Strong experience in hardware/software partitioning, interface definition and architectural design.
- Ability to lead technical trade-offs across software and hardware implementation approaches.
- Demonstrable technical leadership across multidisciplinary engineering teams.
- Significant customer-facing experience, including technical studies, solution evaluation and product or IP integration.
- Knowledge of 3GPP standards, including 5G NR or significant 4G LTE experience.
- Strong communication skills, including the ability to explain complex technical concepts clearly to engineering and commercial stakeholders.
- Desirable: Experience developing complex IP for FPGA or ASIC implementation.
- Desirable: Experience taking products from FPGA-based designs towards ASIC deployment.
- Desirable: Experience in ASIC development, hardware acceleration and digital signal processing.
- Desirable: Experience with fixed-point design, modelling and implementation.
- Desirable: Proficiency in MATLAB, Python and C++.
- Desirable: Contributions to product roadmaps, technology strategy and long-term architectural planning.
- Desirable: Experience mentoring senior engineers or architects and improving engineering practices.
- Lead architectural development across complex products and IP, aligning customer requirements, product strategy and engineering delivery.
- Define system architectures, including hardware/software partitioning, interfaces and implementation approaches.
- Lead architectural and algorithm trade-offs across performance, throughput, latency, resource usage and power.
- Provide technical direction on requirements, system decomposition, architectural modelling, performance analysis and verification strategy.
- Guide implementation decisions across software, FPGA and ASIC platforms.
- Lead customer technical discussions, feasibility studies and integration activities.
- Resolve complex engineering issues and maintain architectural consistency across products and teams.
- Mentor engineers and architects, and contribute to technical standards and long-term technology planning.
- Architect
- FPGA
- Hardware
- Matlab
- Python
More:
We are offering an opportunity for an experienced Principal System Architect to provide technical leadership across the development of advanced, high-performance technology. You will work across systems, algorithms, software, FPGA and ASIC engineering, combining strategic influence with hands-on architectural expertise while guiding engineering teams and collaborating with customers and partners. This role suits a highly experienced systems engineer or architect who enjoys complex technical challenges, influencing product development and supporting other technical specialists. You will help shape sophisticated products from architectural definition through customer deployment and influence both technical strategy and practical delivery. Spectrum IT Recruitment (South) Limited is acting as an Employment Agency in relation to this vacancy.
last updated 44 week of 2026