Solutions Architect

ABOUT CODE METAL Code Metal is redefining code translation for mission-critical industries, helping defense partners move more quickly and reliably from algorithm to silicon. Our platform accelerates deployment of DSP, RF, communications, and embedded signal processing algorithms onto heterogeneous compute targets, including GPUs, FPGAs, ASICs, and edge SoCs. We also support automotive, aerospace, and semiconductor partners deploying complex algorithms onto constrained hardware with speed and rigor. Code Metal is looking for a Solutions Architect to sit at the intersection of customer needs, technical strategy, and growth - shaping ambiguous opportunities into credible system architectures and executable plans. This role leads technical discovery, defines solution direction and success criteria, and aligns customer and internal teams before and throughout proof-of-concept execution. WHO THRIVES IN THIS ROLE: - Engineering leaders who enjoy turning loosely defined opportunities into real systems. - Technically curious people who can quickly explore unfamiliar domains, identify the important constraints, and synthesize viable architectures. - Architects who combine strong technical judgment with enough hands-on depth to challenge assumptions and guide execution. - Ability to quickly context switch between topics, customers, and workstreams. - A strong technical background is required, whether your experience comes from engineering, research, or technical business roles. You will often lead the earliest technical engagement with a customer and determine where Code Metal can create a differentiated, feasible solution. RESPONSIBILITIES: - Lead technical discovery with customers, identifying the mission or business problem, system constraints, decision criteria, and the role Code Metal should play in the solution. - Define candidate system architectures and evaluate alternatives through analysis, trade studies, feasibility assessments, and targeted technical spikes. - Translate ambiguous problems into credible technical approaches, system concepts, success criteria, statements of work, and proposal content. - Own the technical shape of proofs of concept (PoCs): scope the work, define interfaces and success criteria, make key architectural decisions, and guide Solutions Engineers through execution. - Design evaluations and PoCs that expose Code Metal's product differentiators and give customers a clear basis for technical and commercial decisions. - Work across growth, Solutions Engineering, Forward Deployed Engineering, product, core engineering, and research to align customer commitments with product capabilities and roadmap direction. REQUIREMENTS: - Experience leading technical discovery with customers and shaping successful solution architectures, evaluations, or proofs of concept. - Strong technical background in computer science, engineering, physics, or a related field. - Ability to quickly learn about unfamiliar domains and synthesize new technical information. - Strong systems thinking, tradeoff analysis, and problem decomposition skills. - Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to lead architecture discussions and develop clear technical proposals and statements of work. - Self-starter with an ability to operate independently. - Willingness to travel to customer sites as needed (est. 20%-40% travel) GREAT TO HAVE: - Experience architecting complex systems that span software, hardware, interfaces, and operational constraints - Broad cross-domain software experience in one or more of the following: C/C++, Rust, Python, Verilog/VHDL, MATLAB, CUDA/OpenCL - Real-world edge computing or embedded experience where software, hardware, and physical systems intersect - Experience working with U.S. Government programs or dual-use technologies - Active U.S. security clearance (Secret or Top Secret), or eligibility to obtain one. LEVEL EXPECTATIONS BY TRACK This role is open at Senior, Staff, or Principal level. The expectations below describe how scope, ownership, and technical leadership differ by level; candidates are evaluated against the level they are hired into. Senior: - Years of Experience: 5+ - Engineering Craft & Code Quality: Writes clean, idiomatic, well-tested code/output and follows best practices; drives debugging of the team's hardest issues; ensures AI-assisted work is correct, modular, and fully tested. - Architecture & Technical Knowledge: Designs and implements changes to single systems, collaborates on larger designs, and drives architecture reviews for multi-developer projects. - Delivery, Scoping & De-risking: Works with Product to scope and de-risk work; provides reliable estimates for medium-sized projects with clear risk communication. - Technical Leadership & Mentorship: A go-to technical reviewer for the team's codebase; mentors and onboards teammates; contributes to interviews and candidate experience. Staff: - Years of Experience: 7+ - Engineering Craft & Code Quality: Defines and enforces the team's testing strategy, standards, and quality bar; ensures AI-generated output is tightly integrated into existing paradigms and robustly tested. - Architecture & Technical Knowledge: Designs cross-cutting changes across the stack; provides architectural guidance across the team; owns design docs for major multi-service or multi-surface projects. - Delivery, Scoping & De-risking: Owns technical scoping and execution strategy for complex, multi-sprint initiatives; audits requirements for technical risk and hidden dependencies before development begins. - Technical Leadership & Mentorship: The primary technical gatekeeper for the team's codebase; reviews most high-impact work; leads technical grooming, design spikes, and RFCs; coordinates across pods when changes cross domain boundaries. Principal: - Years of Experience: 10+ - Engineering Craft & Code Quality: Sets the quality and correctness bar across the department; their work is the example others learn from; improves the automated systems and practices that ensure quality department-wide. - Architecture & Technical Knowledge: Provides architectural guidance across the department and invents paradigms that solve CodeMetal-specific domain problems (e.g., translation, optimization, deployment across target environments); a key resource on every major system. - Delivery, Scoping & De-risking: A consistent contributor to the company's technical roadmap; gives reliable estimates for large cross-team initiatives; ensures pragmatic scoping toward the most valuable outcomes. - Technical Leadership & Mentorship: An active driver of company-wide architectural reviews and proposals; mentors mid-level and senior staff at scale; influences others across departments toward the best technical outcome. BENEFITS - Pay depends on experience, but we strive to be at the upper end of the salary range - Health care plan with 100% premium coverage, including medical, dental, and vision - 401k with 5% matching - Paid Time Off (uncapped vacation, plus sick and public holidays) - Flexible hybrid or remote work arrangement - Relocation assistance for qualifying employees Wage Transparency - The salary range for this role is not a guarantee of compensation or salary, as the final offer amount may vary based on factors including, but not limited to, individual proficiency, skills, experience, and location. We are an equal opportunity employer. US Citizenship may be required for certain project assignments involving security clearance. Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.