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Senior System Architect Jobs (NOW HIRING)

SME - System Architect

Bethesda, MD · On-site

$259K/yr

They are seeking a Senior System Architect who will serve as a subject matter expert in Cloud and Enterprise Architecture, performing complex systems architecture and engineering to implement ...

System Architect

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

$285K/yr

... Senior Foreign-Policy Advisor to four US presidents. About this Role You will define the architecture for advanced compute and hardware systems -- integrating AI co-design, performance modeling, and ...

System Architect

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

$285K/yr

... Senior Foreign-Policy Advisor to four US presidents. About this Role You will define the architecture for advanced compute and hardware systems - integrating AI co-design, performance modeling, and ...

System Architect

Portland, OR · On-site

$257K/yr

System Architect 3 Voice & VoIP Systems (Remote) We're looking for a senior Voice & VoIP professional to support a large enterprise communications environment. While the title is System Architect ...

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Senior System Architect information

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$75K

$149.2K

$199.5K

How much do senior system architect jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 24, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior system architect in the United States is $149,249.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $133,500.00 and $161,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

Are system architects in demand?

System architects are in high demand due to the increasing complexity of IT infrastructure and the need for strategic technology planning. Organizations seek professionals with expertise in cloud computing, cybersecurity, and enterprise architecture to design scalable and efficient systems. Strong technical skills and relevant certifications can enhance job prospects in this field.

What does a Senior Systems Architect do?

A Senior Systems Architect designs and oversees complex IT systems and infrastructure to meet organizational needs. They analyze requirements, develop architecture frameworks, and collaborate with teams to ensure system integration, often using tools like UML and cloud platforms. Strong technical expertise and leadership skills are essential for this role.

How much do senior systems architects make in the US?

Senior systems architects in the US typically earn between $110,000 and $160,000 annually, with salaries varying based on experience, location, and industry. They often require strong technical skills in system design, cloud platforms, and enterprise architecture, and may hold certifications like TOGAF or AWS Certified Solutions Architect.

What is the difference between Senior System Architect vs System Engineer?

AspectSenior System ArchitectSystem Engineer
CredentialsBachelor's or Master's in Computer Science, certifications like TOGAF or AWSBachelor's in Computer Engineering, certifications like Cisco CCNA or CompTIA
Work EnvironmentDesigns overall system architecture, collaborates with stakeholdersImplements, maintains, and troubleshoots systems and networks
Industry UsageUsed in enterprise IT, cloud solutions, and large-scale system designCommon in network infrastructure, software development, and system deployment

While both roles require technical expertise, a Senior System Architect focuses on designing comprehensive system architectures and strategic planning, whereas a System Engineer handles the implementation, maintenance, and troubleshooting of systems. The architect role is more strategic and design-oriented, while the engineer role is more hands-on and operational.

What is the highest salary of a system architect?

The highest salary for a senior system architect can exceed $150,000 annually, with top earners in large organizations or specialized industries earning over $200,000. Factors influencing salary include experience, certifications, technical skills, and geographic location.
What cities are hiring for Senior System Architect jobs? Cities with the most Senior System Architect job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of System Architect jobs? The most popular types of System Architect jobs are:
What states have the most Senior System Architect jobs? States with the most job openings for Senior System Architect jobs include:
Infographic showing various Senior System Architect job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 95% Full Time, 1% Part Time, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 82% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 13% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $149,249 per year, or $71.8 per hour.
Senior System Architect, Infrastructure Reliability

Senior System Architect, Infrastructure Reliability

Nvidia Corporation

Santa Clara, CA • On-site

Full-time

Posted 25 days ago


Nvidia rating

9.6

Company rating: 9.6 out of 10

Based on 17 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

5th of 217 rated software companies


Job description

NVIDIA is seeking a Senior System Architect: Heterogeneous EDA Systems to solve a complex challenge in accelerated computing: Failure Attribution at Scale. As EDA or equivalent experience workloads scale across thousands of heterogeneous nodes, a single failure can cause massive resource waste. We need an engineer to develop and build an automated framework. This framework will ingest telemetry from CPU and GPU clusters to identify the root cause of job failures in real-time. It will distinguish between hardware faults, infrastructure instability, and software defects.
What you'll be doing:
  • Architect Failure Attribution Frameworks: Build a scalable "flight recorder" for EDA jobs that captures high-fidelity state across the CPU, GPU, and Fabric at the moment of failure.
  • Build automated diagnostics that correlate GPU XID errors, PCIe bus failures, and CUDA memory exceptions. Connect these errors with system-level events such as OOM kills or NUMA-related hangs.
  • Distributed Logging & Tracing: Implement low-overhead tracing mechanisms (using tracing tools or custom agents) that provide access to job execution across multi-node Slurm or Kubernetes clusters.
  • Root Cause Automation: Develop heuristics and models based on machine learning to classify failures as "Hardware Fault," "Software Bug," or "Environment Issue." This reduces the Mean Time to Identify (MTTI) for R&D teams.
  • Resiliency Engineering: Work closely with hardware and infrastructure teams to define "signals of impending failure," enabling proactive job migration or check-pointing before a crash occurs.

What we need to see:
  • Distributed Systems Mastery: BS, MS, or PhD in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering (or equivalent experience) with 6+ years in systems programming.
  • Experience building automated RCA (Root Cause Analysis) pipelines for HPC or cloud-scale environments.
  • CPU Architecture Deep-Dive: Expert knowledge of x86/ARM node-level metrics: IPC (Instructions Per Cycle), cache contention, NUMA imbalance, and hardware interrupts.
  • Programming Proficiency: Strong C++ and Python skills, with the ability to build high-performance daemons that monitor system health without impacting workload performance.
  • Scale Experience: Familiarity with cluster resource managers (Slurm, LSF, or Kubernetes) and how they manage job lifecycle and signal propagation.

Ways To Stand Out From The Crowd:
  • Low-Level Diagnostics: Expert knowledge of the Linux kernel and its error-reporting interfaces (/dev/mcelog, dmesg, journald). Understand how the kernel handles hardware exceptions and memory faults.
  • GPU Infrastructure Proficiency: Deep experience with the NVIDIA DCGM (Data Center GPU Manager) and NVIDIA Management Library (NVML) for monitoring device health and capturing state-dumps.
  • Experience with tools doing non-intrusive monitoring of application health and syscall-level failure patterns.
  • Experience with checkpoint/restore technologies (like CRIU) and their application in long-running EDA flows.

#LI-Hybrid
Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions. The base salary range is 184,000 USD - 287,500 USD for Level 4, and 224,000 USD - 356,500 USD for Level 5.
You will also be eligible for equity and benefits.
Applications for this job will be accepted at least until June 19, 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.

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Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

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About Nvidia

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

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 tapping into the unlimited potential of AI to define the next era of computing. An era in which our GPU acts as the brains of computers, robots, and self-driving cars that can understand the world. Doing what's never been done before takes vision, innovation, and the world's best talent.

Industry

Computer and electronic product manufacturing

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Santa Clara, CA, US

Year founded

1993