Kernel Engineer

About Modular

At Modular, we’re on a mission to revolutionize AI infrastructure by systematically rebuilding the AI software stack from the ground up. Our team, made up of industry leaders and experts, is building cutting-edge, modular infrastructure that simplifies AI development and deployment. By rethinking the complexities of AI systems, we’re empowering everyone to unlock AI’s full potential and tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

If you’re passionate about shaping the future of AI and creating tools that make a real difference in people’s lives, we want you on our team. You can read about our culture and careers to understand how we work and what we value.

About the role:

ML developers today face significant friction in taking trained models into deployment. They work in a highly fragmented space, with incomplete and patchwork solutions that require significant performance tuning and non-generalizable/model-specific enhancements. At Modular, we are building the next generation AI platform that will radically improve the way developers build and deploy AI models.

A core part of this offering is providing a platform that allows developers to reuse deployment-specific tuning and enhancements across model families and frameworks. As an AI Kernel Engineer, you will own developing and tuning performance libraries for AI models. You will develop kernels and algorithms to increase performance of kernels, reduce the activation volumes, speed up data pre- and post-processing, and in general, increase the end-to-end performance of the model.

LOCATION: Candidates based in the US or Canada are welcome to apply. You can work from our office in Los Altos, CA, or remotely from home. Onboarding for all new hires is conducted onsite at our Los Altos, CA office.

What you will do:

• Design and optimize high-performance ML numeric and data manipulation kernels/operators.
• Utilize low-level C/C++/Assembly programming to achieve state-of-the-art performance. Your work will also entail potentially introducing new novel compiler and tools support.
• Work with compiler, framework, runtime, and performance teams to deliver end-to-end performance that fully utilizes today’s complex server and mobile systems.
• Collaborate with architects and hardware engineers to co-design future accelerators, including ISA for new hardware features and evolving ISA.
• Collaborate with machine learning researchers to guide system development for future ML trends.

What you bring to the table:

• In-depth knowledge of C++ and low-level (micro)architectural performance is required.
• 4+ years of experience working on complex code and systems.
• Experience with performance modeling and performance data analysis.
• Understanding of Parallelization techniques for ML/HPC Acceleration.
• Deep interest in machine learning technologies and use cases.
• Creativity and curiosity for solving complex problems, a team-oriented attitude that enables you to work well with others, and alignment with our culture.

Helpful, but not required:

• Some knowledge of compiler fundamentals is valuable, as is familiarity with kernel authoring paradigms (i.e., OpenMP, CUDA, Halide, Rise/Lift, or others).
• Experience with performance profilers, performance data analysis tools, visualization tools, and debugging or experience working with embedded systems.
• Experience working with distributed/parallel programming models and an understanding of parallel hardware.
• Experience developing firmware for accelerators and embedded programming.
• Experience with HPC programming and accelerator languages such as CUDA, OpenCL, SYCL, etc.

What Modular brings to the table:

• Amazing Team: We are a progressive and agile team with some of the industry’s best engineering and product leaders.
• World-class Benefits: In order to attract the best, we need to offer the best. Premier insurance plans, up to 5% 401k matching, flexible paid time off, and more are available to you! Please note that specific benefit packages may vary based on your location.
• Competitive Compensation: We offer very strong compensation packages, including stock options. We want people to be focused on their best work and believe in tailoring compensation plans to meet the needs of our workforce.
• Team Building Events: We organize regular team onsites and local meetups in different cities.

Working at Modular will enable you to grow quickly as you work alongside incredibly motivated and talented people who have high standards, possess a growth mindset, and a purpose to truly change the world.

The estimated base salary range for this role to be performed in the US, regardless of the state, is $166,500.00 - $242,000.00 USD. The estimated base salary range for this role to be performed in Canada, regardless of the province, is $157,500.00 - $228,500.00 CAD. The salary for the successful applicant will depend on a variety of permissible, non-discriminatory job-related factors, which include but are not limited to education, training, work experience, business needs, or market demands. This range may be modified in the future. The total compensation for a candidate will also include annual target bonus, equity, and benefits, with equity making up a significant portion of your total compensation.

For candidates who fall outside of the listed requirements, we nevertheless encourage you to apply as we may have openings that are lower/higher level than the ones advertised.

Modular is proud to emphasize an equal opportunity, safe environment for people to do their best work. Modular is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.
If you require reasonable accommodations to participate in the interview process, please let your recruiter know, and we will work with you to meet your needs in compliance with the ADA.

This employer participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. If E-Verify cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, this employer is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or Social Security Administration (SSA) so you can begin to resolve the issue before the employer can take any action against you, including terminating your employment. Employers can only use E-Verify once you have accepted a job offer and completed the Form I-9.