R&D Lead & Inference Storage System Architect

Job description

Company Description Sandisk understands how people and businesses consume data and we relentlessly innovate to deliver solutions that enable today’s needs and tomorrow’s next big ideas. With a rich history of groundbreaking innovations in Flash and advanced memory technologies, our solutions have become the beating heart of the digital world we’re living in and that we have the power to shape. Sandisk meets people and businesses at the intersection of their aspirations and the moment, enabling them to keep moving and pushing possibility forward. We do this through the balance of our powerhouse manufacturing capabilities and our industry-leading portfolio of products that are recognized globally for innovation, performance and quality. Sandisk has two facilities recognized by the World Economic Forum as part of the Global Lighthouse Network for advanced 4IR innovations. These facilities were also recognized as Sustainability Lighthouses for breakthroughs in efficient operations. With our global reach, we ensure the global supply chain has access to the Flash memory it needs to keep our world moving forward. Job Description 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. 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 Qualifications 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 Sandisk thrives on the power and potential of diversity. As a global company, we believe the most effective way to embrace the diversity of our customers and communities is to mirror it from within. We believe the fusion of various perspectives results in the best outcomes for our employees, our company, our customers, and the world around us. We are committed to an inclusive environment where every individual can thrive through a sense of belonging, respect and contribution. Sandisk is committed to offering opportunities to applicants with disabilities and ensuring all candidates can successfully navigate our careers website and our hiring process. Please contact us at jobs.accommodations@sandisk.com to advise us of your accommodation request. In your email, please include a description of the specific accommodation you are requesting as well as the job title and requisition number of the position for which you are applying.