Head of Business Development

About Architect

Architect is a frontier AI lab for chip design. We build AI models and tools for on-demand custom ASICs at scale. Our goal is to co-design custom ASICs alongside evolving ML workloads, and enable a new era of domain-specific chips that unlock capabilities impossible with current hardware paradigms. Born out of Stanford Research, our team blends AI with Silicon with a founding team from Anthropic, Google DeepMind, Meta SuperIntelligence, xAI, Apple and Intel.

What You'll Do

As Head of Business Development at Architect, you'll own go-to-market from zero. You'll build and lead the commercial function, identifying customers, shaping engagements, negotiating contracts, and closing high-ticket silicon contracts. You'll work directly with the founders to translate technical capability into a sales pipeline. You'll be in the room with VPs of Engineering and hardware CTOs, whiteboarding architectures, scoping engagements, and structuring contracts. You'll represent Architect at industry conferences like DAC, ISSCC, Hot Chips, and GOMACTech, and leverage your existing semiconductor network to open doors that cold outreach never will. You'll also own pricing strategy, contract structure, and partnership development with foundries, EDA vendors, IP providers and customer partnerships.

What We'd Like to See

• Experience: 10+ years in the semiconductor industry with at least 5 years in a BD, sales, or partnerships role at IP company, fabless semiconductor company, or EDA vendor. You've personally closed $500K+ design or licensing deals.

• Network: Existing relationships with VPs of Engineering, CTOs, and heads of hardware at potential customers, AI chip startups, system companies building custom silicon, defense primes, and HFT/fintech firms.

• Technical Depth: You can hold your own in a conversation about RTL design, verification methodology, PPA tradeoffs, process node selection, and tapeout flows. You don't need to write SystemVerilog, but you need to understand what your team delivers and why it matters.

• Deal Structuring: Experience with pricing for silicon products, IP licensing models, and the procurement processes at both startups and large enterprises contractors.

• Startup Readiness: You've either been at an early-stage company, ex-founder or you're leaving a senior role at a large corporation because you want to build something from ground up. You're comfortable without a CRM on day one, willing to do your own outreach, and close deals.

• Bonus:

  • Previous experience at a ASIC design contracts (Broadcom, MediaTek, Qualcomm, Marvell, Samsung) or IP company ( Synopsys, Designware, Arm, Cadence).

  • Background as a hardware engineer before transitioning to BD. You've been on the delivery side of these engagement.

  • Familiarity with AI/ML as applied to EDA or chip design — you can credibly articulate why AI-assisted design flows change the economics.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary and meaningful equity

• Fast-paced startup with autonomy and visible impact

• Cutting-edge AI-driven chip design challenges