We are seeking a Physical AI Solutions Architect to lead the design and delivery of next-generation robotics, drones, medical, industrial and quantum compute systems that combine AI, real-time control, and heterogeneous compute (CPU/GPU/FPGA).
This role is responsible for defining end-to-end system architectures, driving customer engagements and PoCs, and translating advanced Physical AI concepts into production-ready solutions.
The ideal candidate bridges sense-think-act physical AI pipeline, and hardware acceleration, with a strong focus on low-latency, deterministic, and scalable systems deployed in real-world environments.
Key Responsibilities
- End-to-End Physical AI System Architecture. Define full-stack architectures spanning sensors, perception, localization, planning, control and actuation. Design Sense–Think–Act pipelines with strict latency and determinism constraints. Evaluate hardware/software partitioning, especially CPU vs GPU vs FPGA mapping
- Customer Engagement & Solution Delivery: Lead technical engagements with physical AI customers. Translate customer requirements into architecture proposals and solution roadmaps and deliver:
- Technical presentations and executive briefings
- System-level design recommendations
- Competitive positioning vs GPU/CPU alternatives
- Proof-of-Concept (PoC) & Prototyping: Drive PoC development to validate architecture and performance, and work with engineering teams to build demos
- Physical AI Strategy & Market Development:
- Analyze physical AI market trends, customer needs, and competitive landscape
- Define physical AI solution stack (hardware + software + middleware)
- Reference architectures for key segments
- Contribute to white papers, technical blogs, and training materials
- Must have BS/MS, PhD preferred in Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field.
- 10+ years' experience in physical AI including robotics, drones, AI systems, or solutions architecture
- Strong expertise in one or more domains: Robotics systems and AI/ML for robotics.
- Experience with:
- ROS / ROS2
- FPGA platforms (RTL, HLS) – Preferred, but not mandatory
- Real-time control systems and deterministic processing
- E2E robotics control loop architecture
- World modeling and point cloud generation
- Motion planning
- Physical AI SDK
- Familiarity with:
- Sensor fusion, localization, motion planning, control loops
- VLA and VLM models
Travel Requirements: 30%
Job Type: RegularShift:Shift 1 (United Kingdom)Primary Location:Marlow, Buckinghamshire, United KingdomAdditional Locations:Posting Statement:All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, religious creed, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, military and veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, gender, gender expression, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by local law, regulation, or ordinance.Skills Required
- Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field
- 10+ years of experience in physical AI, robotics, drones, AI systems, or solutions architecture
- Strong expertise in robotics systems or AI/ML for robotics
- Experience with ROS or ROS2
- Experience with real-time control systems and deterministic processing
- Experience with end-to-end robotics control loop architecture
- Experience with world modeling and point cloud generation
- Experience with motion planning
- Experience with Physical AI SDK
- Familiarity with sensor fusion, localization, and control loops
- Familiarity with VLA and VLM models
- PhD in Robotics, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field
- Experience with FPGA platforms, RTL, or HLS
Altera (altera.com) Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Altera (altera.com) and has not been reviewed or approved by Altera (altera.com).
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Retirement Support — Feedback suggests retirement programs are robust, with offerings such as a 401(k) and a pension. This breadth supports long-term financial security.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Feedback suggests time-off policies are generous, including PTO, paid sick days, and paid holidays. Wellness initiatives like gym memberships further support balance.
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Parental & Family Support — Feedback suggests parental leave is generous. Family-building support, including fertility benefits and adoption reimbursement, is highlighted as part of the package.
Altera (altera.com) Insights
What We Do
Altera: Accelerating Innovators Altera provides leadership programmable solutions that are easy-to-use and deploy in applications from cloud to edge, offering limitless AI possibilities. Our end-to-end broad portfolio of products including FPGAs, CPLDs, Intellectual Property, development tools, System on Modules, SmartNICs and IPUs provide the flexibility to accelerate innovation. Altera is helping to shape the future through pioneering innovation that unlocks extraordinary possibilities for everyone on the planet.
