Software Engineer: Keystone Project (Machine-Verified LLM Inference)

EPFL; Lausanne; Vor Ort; CHF 120.000 - 180.000; Vollzeit

Benefits dieser Stelle

Dynamic team on high-profile project

Multicultural academic environment

Continuing education and professional

Frontier AI models access

Travel funding Lausanne-London

Zusammenfassung

EPFL invites a skilled software engineer to turn verified research prototypes into production-grade, high-performance inference software. The role emphasizes systems programming, performance engineering, and collaboration with EPFL and Imperial College London researchers.

Applicants should bring strong exposure to Python, C/C++, Rust and have an interest in formal verification. French is a plus, English fluency is essential for collaboration with international teams.

Qualifikationen

• Higher degree in computer science or equivalent with experience in systems programming.
• Strong programming ability in Python, C/C++, Rust, OCaml or similar functional languages.
• Knowledge of GPU programming (CUDA, Triton, PTX) or high-performance computing.

Aufgaben

• Design, implement, and maintain core components of the verified LLM inference engine.
• Collaborate with EPFL and Imperial College London research teams.
• Organize engineering infrastructure: CI, differential testing, performance benchmarking.
• Develop AI pipelines for specification autoformalization, proof generation, and proof repair.
• Write documentation to ensure reproducibility of artefacts.
• Diagnose and repair failures across the software stack.
• Contribute to open-source releases and engage with user communities.

Kenntnisse

Python

C/C++

Rust

OCaml

GPU programming

ML inference/serving

Interactive theorem proving

English communication

Ausbildung

Higher degree in computer science

Tools

CUDA

PyTorch

SGLang

Lean/Isabelle

Jobbeschreibung

Mission

The Keystone project, an ARIA-funded collaboration between EPFL and Imperial College London, aims to build a formally-verified ML inference engine, demonstrating that AI can help make verified systems competitive with unverified systems in terms of development effort, features, and performance. Its missions include the design and implementation of verified inference components, the formalization of GPU kernel semantics, the development of AI-assisted proof engineering workflows, and the open-source release of specifications, proofs, and verified artefacts.

Mission

The Keystone project, an ARIA-funded collaboration between EPFL and Imperial College London, aims to build a formally-verified ML inference engine, demonstrating that AI can help make verified systems competitive with unverified systems in terms of development effort, features, and performance. Its missions include the design and implementation of verified inference components, the formalization of GPU kernel semantics, the development of AI-assisted proof engineering workflows, and the open-source release of specifications, proofs, and verified artefacts. We seek an excellent software engineer to play a central role in turning verified research prototypes into a production-grade, high-performance inference engine. Prior experience with formal verification is welcome but not required: a strong systems engineer with the motivation to learn proof-assistant technology will thrive in this role.

Main Duties And Responsibilities

• Bring technical expertise in systems programming and performance engineering to support the project’s research; collaborate with the research teams at EPFL and Imperial College London
• Design, implement, and maintain core components of the verified LLM inference engine, including the runtime and glue code connecting extracted verified code, GPU kernels, and drivers
• Organize and manage the project’s engineering infrastructure: differential testing against reference engines (vLLM, SGLang), continuous integration for code and proofs, and performance benchmarking
• Develop and maintain agentic AI pipelines for specification autoformalization, proof generation, and proof repair
• Write documentation, procedures, and recommendations to ensure reproducibility of the project’s artefacts
• Diagnose, prevent, and repair failures and regressions across the software stack
• Analyze the security level and trusted computing base of the components we develop, and contribute to red/blue team exercises within the ARIA programme
• Contribute to open-source releases and engage with their user communities

Profile

• Higher degree in computer science or education deemed equivalent; experience in the field
• Excellent technical knowledge of systems programming, and strong programming ability in several of: Python, C/C++, Rust, OCaml, or other functional languages
• Knowledge of one or more of the following, with strong motivation to grow in the others:
  • GPU programming (CUDA, Triton, PTX) or high-performance computing
  • ML inference or serving systems (vLLM, SGLang, PyTorch internals, or similar)
  • Interactive theorem proving (Rocq, Lean, HOL, Isabelle, or similar) or other formal methods
• Experience maintaining development tooling: build systems, continuous integration, and test infrastructure
• Experience using LLM-based development tools or building agentic workflows is a plus
• Mastery of English indispensable (oral and written); French is an asset but not required
• Sense of priorities, integrity, and autonomy in your work
• Team spirit and aptitude for conducting technical investigations and implementations; excellent ability to communicate with varied audiences, from proof engineers to systems researchers
• Strong sense of service and spirit of initiative

We offer

• The possibility to join a dynamic and stimulating team on a high-profile ARIA-funded project
• A multicultural and academic working environment of high quality
• Opportunities for continuing education and professional development
• Excellent working conditions
• Generous access to frontier AI models and high-performance compute
• Funded travel for collaboration between Lausanne and London, and for conferences

For any further information, please contact: Nate Foster ([e-mail]).

More information can be found on https://laser.epfl.ch/.

Contract Start Date : 01.12.2026, or to be determined

Activity Rate: 100.00

Contract Type: CDD

Duration: 1 year, renewable (project duration permitting)

Reference: 2477