Staff / Principal GPU Hardware Architect  – £110,000 – £150,000 + Bonus + Benefits – UK/EU

The Opportunity

A leading semiconductor IP organisation is expanding the team that defines the hardware architecture of future GPUs. This role suits someone who can take an open-ended product or performance problem, explore possible implementations and turn an architectural decision into a specification that hardware engineers can build from.

You will work with product, modelling, hardware design and software teams, weighing performance, power, area and bandwidth. Deep 3D graphics expertise is welcome, but the priority is sound hardware architecture judgement and a working understanding of GPUs and graphics workloads.

Key Responsibilities

• Define GPU hardware features and write specifications that can be implemented in RTL.
• Explore trade-offs across areas such as memory hierarchy, caches, data movement and bandwidth.
• Work with modelling and design engineers to evaluate options and understand implementation constraints.
• Translate product requirements into hardware behaviour, including the implications for software.
• Present and defend architectural decisions, then support the teams implementing them.

Essential Skills & Experience

You will likely possess:

• Personal ownership of architecture or microarchitecture decisions for a GPU or a closely related processor or accelerator.
• Evidence of investigating design problems and choosing an approach, rather than solely implementing specifications written by others.
• A practical understanding of RTL and digital ASIC constraints, gained through hands-on design or close work with RTL engineers.
• The ability to write clear hardware feature specifications and reason about performance, power, area and bandwidth.
• Working familiarity with GPUs and graphics workloads, including the broad graphics pipeline, shader execution and memory demands.

Desirable Experience

• Cache or memory hierarchy architecture, address mapping, scheduling or dataflow.
• GPU performance modelling and analysis of workloads.
• 3D graphics APIs or rendering features, particularly where software requirements shaped hardware decisions.
• Seeing architectural features through RTL implementation and into production silicon.

Who This Could Suit

You may have progressed from hands-on digital design into hardware architecture, or you may already be defining GPU features at Staff or Principal level. Architects from related processor or accelerator teams can also be considered if they have meaningful GPU familiarity and can show direct ownership of hardware design decisions.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

You will help decide how future GPU features work, write the specifications that guide their implementation and collaborate closely with the engineers building them. The role offers scope to shape substantial hardware decisions while working alongside experienced graphics specialists.

Package & Benefits

• Base Salary: £110,000 – £150,000
• 30% annual bonus opportunity
• Total compensation: £143,000 – £195,000
• Flexible / remote working model
• Pension scheme
• Private medical insurance
• Life assurance
• Income protection
• Relocation Support available (If required)
• Visa Sponsorship Available (If required)
• Ongoing training and professional development opportunities
• The opportunity to work alongside recognised experts within the graphics industry
• Significant influence over future generations of graphics technologies

Application Process

My client offers a streamlined 3-stage interview process:

• Stage 1: Technical Screening (45 minutes)
• Stage 2: Technical Panel Interview (2 hours 10 minutes)
• Stage 3: HR / Final Discussion

The process can typically be completed within 2-4 weeks, depending on candidate availability.