Hardware System Design Architect

As a Hardware System Design Architect, you will lead the system architecture design of Normal’s AI compute hardware end-to-end, from initial concept to specification, design reviews, integration, and deployment. You will guide system-level decisions spanning boards, chassis, interconnects, and rack-scale system design, collaborating closely across hardware, software, and other engineering teams to ensure system designs meet performance and workload requirements.

You’ll define system requirements and specifications, evaluate architectural options, and drive key technical decisions as our hardware platforms evolve. You’ll evaluate partner and vendor designs against our requirements, identify technical gaps and schedule risks early, and lead system-level tradeoffs. You’ll play a central role in bringing these pieces together into cohesive, high-performance AI compute systems and driving the overall system from architecture through deployment.

What You Will Own

• Lead hardware system architecture from initial concept and requirements through design reviews, integration, and production deployment.
• Translate workload and performance requirements into hardware decisions, working closely with cross-functional teams and external partners.
• Lead architecture design across boards, chassis, and racks, including system topology, power, thermal, scale-up and scale-out fabrics, and networking.
• Define and own bring-up, system integration, validation and qualification strategy.

• Significant experience architecting complex compute hardware systems, spanning server or machine-level designs through rack-scale platforms
• Experience taking hardware systems from early requirements and architecture through specification, integration, bring-up, validation, and production deployment
• Experience working with ODMs, suppliers, and other hardware partners, including reviewing designs, defining technical requirements, and driving technical issues to resolution
• Degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field

Bonus Points

• Experience designing high-performance AI compute systems at server and rack scale
• Experience bringing novel hardware architectures into production-scale compute systems
• Advanced degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field