Lead Software Engineer - AI Operators

Kinara.ai; Hyderabad; On-site; INR 4,000,000 - 7,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Kinara.ai is seeking a Lead Software Engineer to own the end-to-end software stack for our edge AI processors. You will design, implement, and optimize AI operator kernels, collaborating with hardware and compiler teams to maximize performance on our custom ISA-based hardware.

You will mentor engineers, lead architectural decisions, and stay ahead of AI operator trends and ISA optimizations to drive the platform forward.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical/Computer Engineering, or a related field; a Ph.D. is a strong plus.
• 8+ years of hands-on kernel or low-level systems software development with production-quality code.
• Deep knowledge of OS internals, memory management, process scheduling, and performance tuning.
• Expertise in system-level programming using C/C++ and assembly for specialized ISA implementations.
• Strong familiarity with kernel debugging and profiling tools (GDB, Gprof, or equivalent).

Responsibilities

• Design and development of AI operator modules/kernels to maximize performance on custom ISA-based edge AI processors.
• Develop, optimize, and maintain high-performance kernel-level code in C/C++ (and assembly when needed).
• Drive performance profiling, debugging, and iterative optimization to remove bottlenecks.
• Lead technical projects and mentor engineering teams across cross-functional groups.

Skills

Kernel development

Low-level systems

C/C++

Assembly

OS internals

Performance tuning

GDB

Gprof

Leadership

Mentoring

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in CS/EE

PhD (strong plus)

Tools

GDB

Gprof

Trace analyzers

Job description

Job Summary

As a Lead Software Engineer, you ll take ownership of the end-to-end software stack, design, implementation, and optimization of our core AI operator modules/kernels. You will be working with diverse cross-functional teams, enhance the performance, reliability, and scalability of our edge AI processors. Your contributions will directly impact our ability to deliver best-in-class Edge AI/ML performance across our product portfolio.

What You ll Do:

• Architectural Leadership:
  • Define and lead the evolution of our AI operators/kernel architecture to maximize performance and efficiency on our custom ISA-based hardware.
  • Evaluate cutting-edge technologies and methodologies to enhance AI operator capabilities.
  • Drive proof Of concepts for addition of new operators and solutions that help improve overall performance and stability of software stack.
  • Guide developers technically to ensure on-time deliverables closure.
• Innovation Continuous Learning:
  • Stay current on emerging trends in AI operator development, and specialized ISA optimizations.
  • Champion a culture of innovation by proposing and implementing forward-thinking solutions that drive our technology forward.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration:
  • Work closely with hardware architects, compiler teams, and application developers to ensure seamless integration of kernel components with higher-level systems.
• Be a technical point of contact supporting HW and other Software cross functional teams.
• Design and Development:
  • Design and Development of our AI operator modules/kernels to maximize performance and efficiency on our custom ISA-based edge AI processors.
  • Develop, optimize, and maintain high-performance kernel-level code in C/C++ (and assembly when needed) for AI/ML operators.
• Performance Optimization Debugging:
  • Utilize advanced profiling and debugging tools (e.g., GDB, trace analyzers) to diagnose and resolve performance bottlenecks.
  • Drive continuous performance improvements through rigorous testing and iterative optimization strategies.

What We re Looking For:

• Educational Background:
  • Bachelor s or Master s degree in Computer Science, Electrical/Computer Engineering, or a related field; a Ph.D. is a strong plus.
• Proven Expertise:
  • 8+ years of hands-on experience in kernel or low-level systems software development, with demonstrable contributions to production-quality code.
  • Deep knowledge of OS internals, memory management, process scheduling, and performance tuning.
  • Expertise in system-level programming using C/C++ and proficiency in assembly language for specialized ISA implementations.
• Technical Mastery:
  • Strong familiarity with kernel debugging and profiling tools (e.g., GDB, Gprof, or equivalent).
  • Track record of optimizing software performance in complex, high-performance computing environments.
• Leadership Collaboration:
  • Proven track record of leading technical projects and mentoring engineering teams.
  • Exceptional problem-solving skills and the ability to work effectively across multiple disciplines.
• Bonus Points:
  • Experience with AI/ML operator development or specialized compiler optimizations.
  • Exposure to hardware/software co-design and emerging trends in AI hardware acceleration.

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