Senior Power and Thermal Architect

NVIDIA is hiring a Senior Power and Thermal Architect in Santa Clara, United States. Level rates it ; you can apply on NVIDIA.

Level's read on this job

Level rates this role Works on AI ●●●○: the daily work is on AI products, without building the model.
Tools and skills the posting cites include silicon architecture, power management and thermal design.
Level classifies it as a senior role.
Level lists 2,700+ other open roles at NVIDIA.
The role was posted within the past two weeks.

AI in this role

Senior Power and Thermal Architect at NVIDIA driving system-level power and thermal co-design for AI hardware infrastructure.

silicon-architecturepower-managementthermal-designhardware-co-design

NVIDIA has been transforming computer graphics, PC gaming, and accelerated computing for more than 25 years. It's a unique legacy of innovation that's fueled by great technology and amazing people. Today, we're harnessing the boundless possibilities of AI to build the next era of computing. An era in which our GPU acts as the brain of computers, robots, and self-driving cars that can understand the world. Accomplishing unprecedented goals calls for imagination, inventiveness, and exceptional talent from around the world. As a NVIDIAN, you'll be immersed in a diverse, encouraging environment where everyone is inspired to do their best work. Join our team and discover how you can build a lasting impact on the world.

NVIDIA designs the silicon behind AI, accelerated computing, and graphics. Power and thermal architecture decisions sit behind every watt of performance and every degree of thermal headroom! We are the Silicon Co-Design Group (SCG). We are hiring a Senior Architect to scout the research and industry landscape, identify emerging system-level co-design ideas in power and thermal, and drive them across teams into product differentiation across NVIDIA's roadmap. This role shapes system, platform, and datacenter feature/behavior, and partners with teams across Nvidia. SCG scope spans across architecture, design, software, operations, platforms, and productization.

What you'll be doing:

Architect next-generation system, platform, and datacenter-level power and thermal co-design solutions. Scan internal research, academia, standards bodies, and silicon, memory, packaging, and platform partners for what is emerging.
Build the product differentiation case for each candidate idea, performance, power, reliability, schedule, cost, and brainstorm what is worth pursuing.
Lead end-to-end co-design from concept to product. Drive alignment across architecture, VLSI, software, platform, packaging, and operations teams to land selected technologies in production.
Shape innovation across workload-aware power and thermal controls, closed-loop platform telemetry, datacenter-class power compliance, platform-scale energy buffering, advanced cooling intercepts, and emerging memory co-design.
Maintain a living intercept pipeline. Track candidates, productization status, decision gates, and product axes. Brief SCG and broader NVIDIA leadership on what is next.
Collaborate with system architects, platform and software engineers, manufacturing partners, and external researchers to bring next-generation products to market.

What we need to see:

BS, MS, or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent experience.
12+ years in system-level power, thermal, or related architecture, with deep expertise in at least one of: system power management, system thermal architecture, platform energy architecture, workload-aware power and thermal controls, or memory co-design.
External technical recognition, premier publications, patents, or industry standards contributions, and active contributions to standards bodies, consortia, or external technical communities.
Track record of taking research-grade ideas through system co-design and into measurable product impact.
Demonstrated multi-functional influence in aligning teams across the company without direct reporting authority.
Excellent problem-solving, partnership, and social skills.

Ways to stand out from the crowd:

Curious about turning research into a production system co-design? Here is what makes a strong candidate.
PhD or equivalent experience with sustained research contributions after entering industry.
Machine learning or data-driven techniques applied to system power, thermal modeling, or design-space exploration.
Background in system reliability and variability, managing aging based on usage patterns, RAS, lifecycle management, and the intersection with power and thermal.
Hands-on familiarity with emerging memory technologies, including advanced HBM and stacked memory.
Active contributions to standards bodies, consortia, or external technical communities.

As a member of the team, you will thrive on solving problems no one else can solve. Your decisions will not just shape a program, but also the technology’s trajectory.

NVIDIA is widely considered one of the technology world’s most desirable employers, home to some of the most forward-thinking engineers in the industry. If you close the failures others can’t, build teams that outlast your programs, and make the next ramp better because of what you learned, we want to hear from you.

#LI-Hybrid

You will also be eligible for equity and benefits.

Applications for this job will be accepted at least until November 3, 2026.

This posting is for an existing vacancy.

NVIDIA uses AI tools in its recruiting processes.

NVIDIA is committed to fostering an inclusive work environment and proud to be an equal opportunity employer. As we highly value diversity in our current and future employees, we do not discriminate (including in our hiring and promotion practices) on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status or any other characteristic protected by law.

How we rate this

Senior Power and Thermal Architect at NVIDIA rates 65 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Works on AI (AI Level 3 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.

Classification

Works on AI. The daily work is on AI products, without building the model.

●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
●○○○ Little AI0 to 39

Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Read the description and count the AI tools, models and workflows it names.

Key facts

Senior Power and Thermal Architect is an open job at NVIDIA.
Level rates this role AI Level 3 of 4: Works on AI.
The role is based in US, CA, Santa Clara.
The job was posted on October 30, 2026.
Seniority: senior.
Applications are handled by NVIDIA. Apply on NVIDIA

Prepare for this job

Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.

Skills and AI tools this role asks for

Silicon ArchitecturePower ManagementThermal DesignHardware Co Design

Questions you could be asked

Tell me about a project where silicon architecture was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where power management was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where thermal design was part of your work. What did you do?
Tell me about a project where hardware co design was part of your work. What did you do?
Describe a typical day in a role like this one: which parts run through AI directly?

Adapt your resume

List these exact terms on your resume: Silicon Architecture, Power Management, Thermal Design, and Hardware Co Design. An applicant tracking system matches the wording, not the idea.
Attach one line of real, concrete experience to at least one of them. A tool named with nothing behind it rarely survives a human read.
Show where AI is part of your daily process, not a one-off project. This role expects it to be a running habit.

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