Principal Engineer, Architecture (USB Systems & IP) at Lattice Semiconductor in San Jose, CA

Job description

Lattice Overview There is energy here…energy you can feel crackling at any of our international locations. It’s an energy generated by enthusiasm for our work, for our teams, for our results, and for our customers. Lattice is a worldwide community of engineers, designers, and manufacturing operations specialists in partnership with world-class sales, marketing, and support teams, who are developing programmable logic solutions that are changing the industry. Our focus is on R&D, product innovation, and customer service, and to that focus, we bring total commitment and a keenly sharp competitive personality. Energy feeds on energy. If you flourish in a fast paced, results-oriented environment, if you want to achieve individual success within a “team first” organization, and if you believe you can contribute and succeed in a demanding yet collegial atmosphere, then Lattice may well be just what you’re looking for. Job Description: Overview Lattice Semiconductor is seeking an experienced and highly motivated Principal Engineer to join our Architecture team. In this role, you will serve as a technical leader defining next-generation USB solutions across FPGA, SoC FPGA, and system platforms. You will work closely with architecture, silicon design, software, applications, product planning, and ecosystem partners to develop innovative USB-based solutions that enable differentiated customer experiences. The ideal candidate combines deep USB protocol expertise with hands-on experience developing USB devices, embedded firmware, software stacks, and USB controller architectures. This role requires both technical leadership and strong cross-functional collaboration skills, with the ability to influence product strategy and drive complex architectural initiatives from concept through deployment. Responsibilities Define architecture and technical requirements for future USB subsystem solutions across FPGA and SoC product families. Serve as the company-wide subject matter expert for USB technologies including USB 2.0, USB 3.x, USB Type-C, USB Power Delivery (PD), and related ecosystem standards. Evaluate, select, and guide integration of third-party USB controller, PHY, and protocol IP solutions. Drive architecture studies, competitive analysis, and technology assessments related to USB connectivity, embedded systems, and customer applications. Collaborate with silicon design teams to define USB subsystem architectures, performance targets, configurability, and integration requirements. Work closely with firmware and software teams to define reference platforms, software architecture, and production-ready solutions. Partner with applications engineering and strategic customers to understand emerging requirements and translate them into product roadmap recommendations. Develop technical specifications, architectural proposals, white papers, and executive-level presentations. Contribute to system-level validation, interoperability testing, and compliance strategies. Mentor engineers across multiple disciplines and provide technical guidance on complex USB-related challenges. Engage with standards organizations, ecosystem partners, and industry forums as required to support technology strategy. Required Qualifications M.S. or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field. 12+ years of industry experience in semiconductor, embedded systems, FPGA, ASIC, or SoC development. Demonstrated technical leadership experience at the subsystem or system architecture level. Deep understanding of USB protocols and architectures, including: USB 2.0 USB 3.x SuperSpeed USB Type-C USB Power Delivery (PD) USB hubs and bridges Device, host, and OTG implementations Hands-on experience developing USB-based applications and products. Experience implementing or integrating USB device, host, or dual-role solutions. Strong understanding of the USB controller IP ecosystem, including: Host controllers Device controll