R&D Lead & Inference Storage System Architect

Responsibilities

• Drive the architecture of a groundbreaking data-center storage system targeting step-change improvements in cost, power, density, and scalability
• Define the overall architecture of the storage platform and its deployment model within large-scale AI infrastructure environments
• Analyze data-center deployment models, including hyperscaler environments, AI training and inference clusters, and disaggregated storage approaches
• Define system data flows, metadata flows, and identify performance choke points
• Architect the storage rack and tray topology
• Define the storage node architecture, including SoC/DPU selection, PCIe/NVMe topology, DRAM architecture, and NIC integration
• Drive system partitioning decisions across hardware, firmware, and software components
• Define placement of RAID, compression, and data services
• Lead bottleneck analysis and scalability modeling at node and rack levels, including multi-node and large-scale system behavior
• Own system-level power and performance modeling
• Engage directly with customers and ecosystem partners to align architecture with real deployment needs
• Guide cross-company technical collaboration and ensure architectural alignment across internal and external contributors
• Required:
• 10+ years of experience in data-center infrastructure, storage systems, or high-performance system architecture deployments
• Proven experience working with cloud providers, hyperscaler infrastructure, or large-scale production- Strong data-center infrastructure expertise with clear storage system orientation, including environments supporting large-scale compute or AI workloads
• Background originating in hardware engineering and evolved into a system architect role designing end-to-end architectures spanning hardware, firmware, and software
• Demonstrated expertise in performance analysis, bottleneck identification, and system optimization
• Experience with high-speed networking and modern data-center NIC/DPU architectures
• Strong collaborator with the ability to drive alignment across multiple engineering teams
• Fluent English with the presence, clarity, and technical credibility required to present to customers and partners
• Preferred:
• Experience with scale-out storage architectures or large multi-node systems
• Experience with NVMe, PCIe, RAID, and flash storage systems
• Experience with file systems and storage software stacks
• Experience with disaggregated storage systems
• Background in hyperscaler storage, AI infrastructure environments, parallel file systems, or startup environments
• Experience bringing complex systems from concept to production

Additional Information

We are building a next-generation storage platform for AI infrastructure that combines high-performance flash, accelerator technologies, and advanced storage software, with the goal of delivering a breakthrough step-function improvement in cost, power efficiency, density, and scalability for AI-era data-center storage. We are seeking a R&D Lead & Inference Storage System Architect to define and drive the end-to-end architecture of this platform, from data-center deployment models down to node-level HW/SW partitioning. This role will also contribute to strengthening Sandisk's broader data-center infrastructure architecture knowledge across the Architecture organization, working collaboratively with existing domain experts and helping advance our system-level deployment thinking.

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Company Intel

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