Director of Software Architecture

Director of Software Architecture Overview

This role sits within Arm’s software organisation and is aimed at someone who can help shape the company’s software direction across a wide range of computing markets. The work focuses on making Arm technology easier to adopt in the software ecosystems that power products used by hundreds of millions of people around the world. The team develops software solutions, reference implementations, and ecosystem strategies that help customers build on Arm platforms with better security, reliability, and performance.

You would join a group of software solution architects in Central Engineering Software, where the emphasis is on supporting Arm technologies across many different software projects and creating example solutions that show how those technologies work in practice. The role is based in Cambridge, Budapest, or Bangalore, and it involves close collaboration with major industry partners and open-source communities.

What you would do

• Build software architecture approaches that help Arm technologies gain traction across key software ecosystems and customer environments.
• Work with the company’s software ecosystems to define solutions that enable Arm technology and encourage adoption by users and partners.
• Contribute to a central engineering group that supports Arm technologies across a broad range of software projects and produces example implementations for real-world use.
• Help guide software strategy across many computing segments, including data centre, automotive, mobile, robotics, networking, home devices, laptops, televisions, embedded systems, and IoT.
• Promote new Arm architecture and IP capabilities to software communities, explain what they mean for existing software and tools, and help solve adoption issues.
• Study software already deployed in products, especially major open-source projects such as Linux, and develop a deep understanding of how those systems are built and maintained.
• Contribute improvements back to the relevant open-source projects so that Arm customers can use them as reference material when creating their own systems.
• Partner with Arm’s OS, OEM, and silicon collaborators to help establish standards that support optimisation, differentiation, and rapid evolution within Arm’s partner model.
• Develop new software paradigms on top of Arm reference hardware designs and show how they can be used effectively.
• Profile system performance, identify opportunities for improvement, and introduce innovations that make the software faster or more efficient.
• Lead validation activities covering functionality, security, and safety.
• Work closely with well-known names across the industry to help design, optimise, and deliver software that supports Arm’s pioneering IP and expands Arm’s role in new markets.

What Arm is looking for

• Strong understanding of Arm-based computer architecture, including the kinds of SoCs and devices built with Arm hardware IP.
• Practical experience with profiling, instrumentation, and performance tuning for real-world workloads such as AI stacks, runtime compilers, and multimedia processing.
• Good knowledge of complex multi-component computing systems, supported by hands-on low-level operating system or device driver development or integration work.
• Deep C or C++ expertise, including the ability to optimise applications, workloads, and compilers.
• Knowledge of how to test software thoroughly and how to design systems with testability in mind.
• Experience taking complex software from early concept through production and long-term maintenance.
• Additional experience that would be useful includes work with Android, ChromeOS, or Windows software and systems.
• Additional experience that would be useful includes Linux, Linux distributions, cloud and edge software, and networking applications.
• Additional experience that would be useful includes artificial intelligence software stacks, algorithms, and tooling.
• Additional experience that would be useful includes multimedia system design involving GPUs, compositing display processors, and image signal processing.
• Additional experience that would be useful includes familiarity with system-on-chip architectures.

What you can expect in return

• A salary between £168,300 and £227,700 per year.
• UK offices that are positioned as strong places to collaborate.
• A hybrid working philosophy designed to support both high performance and personal wellbeing.
• Flexibility in how teams work, with each group able to shape its own hybrid pattern based on the needs of the work and the team.
• A workplace culture that emphasises health and wellbeing, work-life success, financial rewards, and ongoing development and support.
• An inclusive environment built around mutual respect and equal opportunity.
• Support during recruitment if you need an adjustment or accommodation.
• No relocation package for this position.

Additional information

Arm encourages applicants who may not meet every requirement to still apply if they are interested in the role. The company says it welcomes versatile people and values a broad range of experience.

If a Skilled Worker visa sponsorship is needed, Arm will pay the employer-side sponsorship costs. The successful candidate is responsible for all personal visa-related expenses, including the visa application fee and the Immigration Health Surcharge. No relocation package is available for this role.

Arm’s hybrid working model is intended to balance collaboration and flexibility. Teams decide their own working patterns within the wider framework, and the exact arrangement for this role will be explained during the application process. In some cases, local legal, regulatory, tax, or other considerations may limit flexibility, and Arm says it will work with candidates to find the best possible arrangement.

Arm is committed to equal opportunities and to maintaining a respectful environment where applicants and employees are treated fairly regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Recruitment accommodations are available for candidates who need them. Examples mentioned include breaks between interviews, having documents read aloud, and office accessibility support. Requests are handled confidentially, and candidates can contact Arm by email to arrange support during the hiring process.

Degree Requirement: Not Specified

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