Engineering Leader: Developer SDKs for Embedded Markets
Role details
Job location
Tech stack
Job description
We are hiring a senior engineering leader to define, build, and scale a portfolio of world-class SDKs that enable developers to create next-generation applications across video analytics, real-time sensor processing dataflow and runtime, distributed compute/communication middleware, delivering a best-in-class developer experience and accelerated time-to-market., This leader will own the SDK strategy end-to-end: architecture, roadmap, engineering execution, packaging/distribution, tooling, documentation, sample apps, performance entitlement on AMD CPGPNPUs, and ecosystem enablement. The role requires deep hands-on expertise in heterogeneous sensor pipelines, time synchronization, mixed-criticality real-time constraints, and distributed systems, while also scaling and leading global engineering teams and partnering across silicon, system software, product, and field., 1) SDK Architecture & Technical Leadership
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Define the end-to-end SDK architecture for several key functionalities but not limited to:
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Video analytics pipelines (decode/encode, pre/post-processing, inference, tracking, streaming, metadata).
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High-speed graph runtime for heterogeneous sensor dataflow and orchestration (CPU/GPU/NPU scheduling, memory movement, zero-copy).
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Real-time communication and sensor data passing, including distributed compute patterns (pub/sub, RPC, shared memory, DDS-class concepts).
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Multimedia framework integration (GStreamer-class pipelines, plug-in models, caps negotiation, timestamps, jitter buffering).
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Vision pipelines and integration with OpenCV-class ecosystems; accelerate critical primitives while maintaining developer portability.
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ROS2-adjacent integration (or ROS2-like SDK abstractions) to support distributed autonomy stacks and multi-node execution.
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Own the system design for heterogeneous sensor ingestion (cameras, radar, lidar, IMU, audio, encoders, industrial sensors), including:
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Time synchronization (PTP/IEEE-1588 concepts, timestamp domains, clock drift, latency accounting).
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Deterministic pipeline behavior under load (bounded latency, scheduling, backpressure, QoS).
- Performance, Real-Time, Safety, and Mixed-Criticality
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Ensure the SDKs support mixed-criticality systems: best-effort analytics + hard real-time control paths coexisting safely.
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Build the runtime with attention to:
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Real-time determinism (priority inversion, CPU affinity, lock contention, bounded queueing).
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Isolation, safety patterns, and fault containment (watchdogs, health monitors, graceful degradation, recovery).
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Memory + bandwidth efficiency across CPU/GPU and DMA/zero-copy paths.
- Developer Experience (DX) Excellence
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Deliver SDKs that feel "effortless" to adopt:
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Simple APIs, consistent abstractions, strong defaults.
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Excellent documentation, tutorials, reference apps, and performance playbooks.
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Strong tooling: profiling, tracing, pipeline visualization, graph debugging, log/metric correlation, replay tools.
Establish a packaging and distribution strategy:
- Versioning/compatibility policy, semantic versioning, long-term support (LTS).
- Container images, Debian/RPM/conda/pip (where relevant), cross-compile toolchains, reproducible builds.
- Multi-OS support where market requires (Linux-first, others based on business priorities).
- Roadmap, Program Execution, and Operational Excellence
- Own and drive the SDK roadmap, feature prioritization, and release trains.
- Lead schedule/resource planning, balancing new features vs quality vs performance.
- Create and enforce quality gates: CI/CD, unit/integration/perf tests, fuzzing (where appropriate), security scanning, ABI/API stability testing.
- Ecosystem & Market Competitiveness
- Conduct competitive analysis and translate insights into differentiation.
- Partner with ISVs, OEMs, robotics/autonomy stack providers, and framework communities to ensure adoption.
- Work closely with product management and field teams to gather requirements and ensure readiness (samples, solution blueprints, deployment guides).
- Build and Scale a High-Performing Global Team
- Hire, mentor, and scale engineering teams across runtime, multimedia, DX/tooling, and integration.
- Set technical bar, architecture review culture, and ownership model (clear module boundaries, design docs, decision logs).
- Establish an operating rhythm: quarterly planning, roadmap reviews, release health dashboards, and customer/partner feedback loops., AMD may use Artificial Intelligence to help screen, assess or select applicants for this position. AMD's "Responsible AI Policy" is available here.
Requirements
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Experiencebuilding cohesive developer SDKs; Experience leading engineering organizations with global teams.
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Proven track record deliveringproduction-grade developer SDKs: APIs, samples, docs, packaging, release management.
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Deep technical expertise in the following:
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Video analytics pipelines (decode/encode, streaming, metadata, inference orchestration).
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Multimedia frameworks (GStreamer-class architecture, plugins, buffer management, timestamps).
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Graph runtimes / dataflow execution engines (scheduling, backpressure, zero-copy, memory pools).
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Distributed systems & communication middleware (DDS-like pub/sub concepts, QoS, reliability).
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Real-time systems (determinism, bounded latency, RT scheduling, mixed-criticality patterns).
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Computer vision and pipeline integration (OpenCV ecosystem; performance-critical primitives).
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Heterogeneous compute optimization across CPU/GPU/NPU (kernel scheduling, memory movement, batching).
Experience building developer SDKs for embedded/edge markets: robotics, industrial, automotive, medical (one or more), * Experience with ROS2 ecosystems and autonomy stack integration (perception fusion planning actuation).
- Expertise in time synchronization and multi-sensor fusion plumbing (timestamp propagation, replay, latency budgeting).
- Background in safety and certification adjacent practices (process maturity, traceability, safety case thinking).
- Track record creating developer tooling (profilers, trace analyzers, graph visualizers, pipeline debuggers).
- Experience collaborating tightly with silicon/hardware teams to drive platform entitlement.
Leadership Attributes We Value
- Architectural clarity + pragmatism: can define clean abstractions without over-engineering.
- Developer empathy: thinks like a user, sweats the "last mile" (docs, examples, install friction, error messages).
- Performance literacy: can reason about latency budgets, bandwidth, queueing, scheduling, and bottlenecks.
- Execution excellence: predictable shipping, strong prioritization, and measurable outcomes.
- Influence at scale aligns product, silicon, systems, and ecosystem partners with a coherent story.
- More with less Maximizing engineering efficiency through commonality of work, extensive AI usage, scaling and ecosystem partners.
ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS:
- BS, MS or equivalent with direct experience