System Domain Architecture Lead Engineer

Introduction to the jobAs an SDA Lead Engineer in San Jose, you provide technical leadership within the System Domain Architecture (SDA) team by developing system-level architectural concepts, performing technical analyses, driving cross-domain alignment, and enabling the successful realization of architecture across products and programs.

You work closely with System Domain Architects, System Engineering, MDU Architects, technical leads, and development teams to translate product requirements, customer needs, and business objectives into robust architectural solutions. You combine deep technical expertise with strong systems thinking to support architectural decision making, technical trade-off analysis, interface management, and integration planning.

You help ensure architectural consistency across multiple disciplines and subsystems by driving technical studies, architecture reviews, risk assessments, and roadmap alignment. You influence technical direction through expertise, collaboration, and engineering leadership, while supporting architectural governance and technical excellence throughout the product lifecycle.

You contribute to the development of system architectures for one or more products and support multiple MDUs through technical leadership, architecture execution, and cross-functional alignment.

Role and responsibilities

In this role, you are responsible for supporting the development and realization of system domain architectures by ensuring architectural consistency, technical coherence, integration readiness, and effective technical decision making across products and development teams. Architecture Development & Technical Leadership Develop and maintain system domain architectural views, solution concepts, and technical roadmaps.

Translate product, customer, and business needs into architectural analyses, system concepts, and technical recommendations.

Support System Domain Architects in defining and maintaining system architecture baselines.

Drive technical decomposition and allocation of requirements across system and subsystem boundaries.

Ensure architectural consistency across subsystems, modules, and engineering disciplines.

Review technical solutions and architectural implementations for compliance with architectural intent. Integration & Technical Alignment Align architectural requirements with System Engineering, MDU Architects, technical leads, and delivery teams.

Facilitate interface definition, integration strategy, and system-level alignment across multiple domains.

Support qualification readiness and technical integration planning.

Drive architecture-related technical reviews, assessments, and decision preparation.

Support architecture governance activities and design review processes. Analysis, Risk Management & Continuous Improvement Identify required architecture studies, simulations, technical investigations, and trade-off evaluations.

Drive root-cause analysis and resolution of complex technical challenges.

Identify, assess, and mitigate architectural risks, system integration risks, and technical debt.

Escalate significant technical risks, architectural conflicts, and unresolved trade-offs to the System Domain Architect.

Contribute to architectural methods, standards, design rules, and engineering best practices. People & Community Development Coach engineers and technical leads on systems thinking, architecture methods, and technical decision making.

Contribute to Architect Development Programs, Technical Competences, and Guild communities.

Foster technical excellence, collaboration, and knowledge sharing across teams and sectors.

Support development of future architects and senior technical leaders.

Education and experience BS in Engineering or relevant technical field.

MSc or PhD preferred in a relevant technical field.

Extensive experience (typically 10+ years) in complex multidisciplinary system development.

Experience working across multiple subsystems, engineering disciplines, or business lines.

Proven experience leading technical initiatives across teams and organizational boundaries.

Strong experience in systems engineering, system architecture, integration, or technical leadership roles.

Demonstrated ability to solve ambiguous technical problems and drive alignment among diverse stakeholders.

Recognized technical expert capable of influencing technical direction and decision making without direct authority.

Experience balancing customer value, business objectives, technology roadmaps, and…