Sr. Staff System Architect – Robotics Applications (Perception, Vision & AI)

Company Description

Renesas is one of the top global semiconductor companies in the world. We strive to develop a safer, healthier, greener, and smarter world, and our goal is to make every endpoint intelligent by offering product solutions in the automotive, industrial, infrastructure and IoT markets. Our robust product portfolio includes world-leading MCUs, SoCs, analog and power products, plus Winning Combination solutions that curate these complementary products. We are a key supplier to the world’s leading manufacturers of electronics you rely on every day; you may not see our products, but they are all around you. 

Renesas employs roughly 21,000 people in more than 30 countries worldwide. As a global team, our employees actively embody the Renesas Culture, our guiding principles based on five key elements: Transparent, Agile, Global, Innovative, and Entrepreneurial. Renesas believes in, and has a commitment to, diversity and inclusion, with initiatives and a leadership team dedicated to its resources and values. At Renesas, we want to build a sustainable future where technology helps make our lives easier. Join us and build your future by being part of what’s next in electronics and the world. 

Job Description

About The Role

We are seeking a visionary and hands-on System Architect to define and develop next-generation robotic system solutions with a focus on perception, computer vision, and AI/ML integration.

In this role, you will shape the intelligence layer of robotics, driving architectures that combine sensors, compute, and AI algorithms to enable advanced perception, decision-making, and autonomy. You will bridge application requirements, robotics research, and semiconductor technology, ensuring our solutions meet the performance, safety, and scalability demands of industrial, service, and humanoid robots.

Key Responsibilities

System Architecture

• Define end-to-end perception and AI architectures for robotic systems (industrial, service, humanoid).
• Architect sensor fusion platforms combining camera, LiDAR, radar, IMU, tactile, and proximity sensors.
• Specify AI/ML pipelines for object detection, recognition, SLAM, scene understanding, and motion planning.
• Define HW/SW partitioning between edge AI accelerators, MCUs/MPUs, and cloud-based inference.
• Ensure scalability, real-time performance, and safety compliance for mission-critical robotic tasks.

Ai/Perception Development

• Guide integration of AI models (CNNs, transformers, reinforcement learning) for perception and control.
• Support vision-based navigation (V-SLAM, semantic mapping, visual odometry) and 3D scene reconstruction.
• Collaborate with AI researchers and engineers to optimize models for embedded deployment.
• Drive benchmarking and validation of AI algorithms against real-world datasets.

Collaboration & Strategy

• Align with product lines, silicon teams, and application engineers to ensure system-level consistency.
• Define reference designs, SRDs, PoCs, and evaluation platforms for robotic perception and AI use cases.
• Track trends in robotics AI (foundation models, multimodal AI, generative AI) and shape solution roadmaps.
• Partner with universities, startups, and ecosystem players to accelerate innovation in robotic perception and intelligence.

Qualifications

• Master’s or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, or related field.
• 8+ years of experience in robotics, embedded vision, or AI systems architecture.
• Proven expertise in:
• Strong knowledge of real-time systems, safety standards (ISO 26262/13849, IEC 61508), and cybersecurity.
• Proficiency with simulation tools (Gazebo, Isaac Sim, MATLAB/Simulink).
• Excellent cross-functional leadership and communication skills.
• Computer vision & perception (image processing, V-SLAM, 3D vision, semantic segmentation).
• Machine learning & deep learning for robotics (PyTorch, TensorFlow, ONNX).
• Sensor fusion (camera, LiDAR, radar, IMU, tactile).
• Embedded AI accelerators and edge computing architectures.
• Middleware & frameworks (ROS/ROS2, DDS, GStreamer, OpenCV).

Nice To Have

• Background in reinforcement learning for robotics or learning from demonstration.
• Familiarity with tactile sensing, haptics, and dexterous manipulation.
• Experience with generative AI or multimodal AI applied to robotics.
• Knowledge of energy-efficient AI architectures for mobile robots.

Additional Information

What We Offer

• Opportunity to shape the intelligence layer of next-generation robots across industries.
• Dynamic environment with flat hierarchies, strong technical ownership, and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
• Direct impact on product strategy, AI innovation, and customer success in robotics.
• Competitive salary, flexible working models, and international career development opportunities.

Renesas is an embedded semiconductor solution provider driven by its Purpose ‘To Make Our Lives Easier.’ As the industry’s leading expert in embedded processing with unmatched quality and system-level know-how, we have evolved to provide scalable and comprehensive semiconductor solutions for automotive, industrial, infrastructure, and IoT industries based on the broadest product portfolio, including High Performance Computing, Embedded Processing, Analog & Connectivity, and Power.
 
With a diverse team of over 21,000 professionals in more than 30 countries, we continue to expand our boundaries to offer enhanced user experiences through digitalization and usher into a new era of innovation. We design and develop sustainable, power-efficient solutions today that help people and communities thrive tomorrow, ‘To Make Our Lives Easier.’     
 
At Renesas, you can: 

• Launch and advance your career in technical and business roles across four Product Groups and various corporate functions. You will have the opportunities to explore our hardware and software capabilities and try new things.  
• Make a real impact by developing innovative products and solutions to meet our global customers' evolving needs and help make people’s lives easier, safe and secure. 
• Maximize your performance and wellbeing in our flexible and inclusive work environment. Our people-first culture and global support system, including the remote work option and Employee Resource Groups, will help you excel from the first day.    

Are you ready to own your success and make your mark?  

Join Renesas. Let’s Shape the Future together.  

Renesas Electronics is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer, committed to supporting diversity and fostering a work environment free of discrimination on the basis of sex, race, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, military status, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. For more information, please read our Diversity & Inclusion Statement.

We have adopted a hybrid model that gives employees the ability to work remotely two days a week while ensuring that we come together as a team in the office the rest of the time. The designated in-office days are Tuesday through Thursday for innovation, collaboration and continuous learning.