Software Architect

About the role

Renesas Electronics is seeking an experienced Software Architect to join our Embedded Processing team in Austin, Texas. This strategic role focuses on software emulation tools for shift-left development, enabling our engineering teams and customers to develop, test, and validate software months before physical silicon is available. As a technical leader, you will bridge the gap between hardware and software development cycles, working with industry-leading emulation platforms to accelerate time-to-market for our semiconductor solutions across industrial, consumer, and IoT markets. This position offers the unique opportunity to shape early development strategies, define emulation roadmaps, and enable customer success in the critical pre-silicon phase of our product lifecycle.

Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Strategy

• Define technical requirements and architectural standards for software emulation workflows
• Lead cross-functional teams in developing early-stage embedded software solutions
• Establish best practices for shift-left development methodologies
• Evaluate and recommend new emulation tools and platforms to keep our technology stack competitive
• Serve as a technical authority on virtual platform development

Development & Implementation

• Design and implement virtual platform configurations using Synopsys Virtual Platform, QEMU, or SIMICS
• Develop hardware/software co-emulation frameworks using ZEBU, HAPS, and related hardware accelerators
• Build automation pipelines for continuous integration and testing on emulation infrastructure
• Debug complex system-level issues across hardware emulation and software simulation environments

Customer Enablement

• Enable early access programs for key customers, providing them with working emulation environments
• Gather customer feedback to inform product roadmap and feature prioritization
• Work directly with customer engineering teams to integrate our emulation solutions into their development flows
• Support proof-of-concept demonstrations for prospective clients evaluating our semiconductor solutions

Team Management

• Mentor junior developers and engineers on emulation technologies and best practices
• Conduct code reviews and ensure high-quality software delivery
• Coordinate project timelines and resource allocation across multiple initiatives
• Foster a collaborative team culture aligned with Renesas' TAGIE values

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field (Master's degree preferred)
• 8+ years of professional software development experience
• 3+ years in a technical leadership or team lead capacity
• Proven track record in embedded systems or semiconductor industry

Essential Technical Skills — Required Competencies

• Virtual Platforms: Deep hands-on experience with Synopsys Virtual Platform, QEMU, SIMICS
• Hardware Emulation: Working knowledge of Synopsys ZEBU / HAPS, or equivalent platforms
• Programming Languages: C/C++, Python, Shell scripting; Verilog/VHDL exposure preferred
• Embedded Systems: ARM architecture, RISC-V, or similar microcontroller/microprocessor families
• Operating Systems: Linux kernel, RTOS environments, bootloaders, device drivers
• Development Methodologies: Shift-left development, CI/CD pipelines, agile/Scrum frameworks

Soft Skills & Leadership

• Strong technical communication skills for explaining complex concepts to diverse audiences
• Ability to build consensus across hardware, software, and business stakeholders
• Problem-solving mindset with demonstrated success resolving challenging technical issues
• Capacity to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced development environment

Day-to-Day Activities

• 40% Strategic planning, requirement definition, and documentation
• 30% Hands-on development and technical implementation
• 20% Team leadership, mentoring, and coordination
• 10% Customer engagements, demonstrations, and support

Location & Work Arrangement

• Primary Office: Austin, Texas
• Work Model: Hybrid (3-4 days on-site)
• Travel: Occasional travel (approximately 10-15%) for customer meetings, industry conferences, and global team collaboration

Benefits

We believe in rewarding our employees with a competitive benefits package alongside their salary. More information will be provided during the hiring process.