AI Systems Performance Architect

Sygaldry Technologies; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Visa sponsorship

Competitive salary

Equity

Health coverage

Offsite events

Unlimited PTO

Job summary

Sygaldry Technologies seeks a researcher to model and simulate high‑performing AI hardware. This role focuses on performance modeling and simulators for large‑scale distributed ML systems and AI acceleration platforms, interfacing with ML researchers and system architects.

You will analyze workload parallelism, data movement, and network bottlenecks, explore hardware/software tradeoffs, and help guide next‑generation AI system design through rigorous analysis and fast design‑space exploration.

Qualifications

• PhD in Computer Engineering or Masters with relevant research background.
• Strong research track record with publications at top venues (e.g., ISCA, MICRO, MLSys, SOSP).
• Foundations in ML systems, distributed computing, and performance modeling.
• Experience with large-scale ML training/inference and distributed execution frameworks.
• Understanding model/data parallelism, collective communication, and distributed scheduling.
• Experience building simulators or system-level benchmarking tools.
• Familiarity with GPU clusters, high-performance networking, and AI accelerators.

Responsibilities

• Develop performance models and simulators for large-scale distributed ML systems and AI acceleration platforms.
• Model end-to-end training and inference performance across compute, memory, networking, and communication.
• Analyze workload parallelism, scheduling, and data movement to identify bottlenecks.
• Explore system architectures and hardware/software tradeoffs to improve performance and scalability.
• Build simulation frameworks for rapid design-space exploration across distributed GPUs and accelerators.
• Collaborate with ML researchers, compiler engineers, and system architects to guide AI system design.

Skills

ML systems

Distributed computing

Performance modeling

GPU clusters

AI accelerators

Simulators

Education

PhD in Computer Engineering

Masters in Computer Engineering

Tools

CUDA

MPI

Horovod

Job description

About Sygaldry

Sygaldry Technologies is building quantum-accelerated AI servers to exponentially speed up training and inference for AI. By integrating quantum and AI, we’re accelerating the path to super intelligence, and engineering the conditions for it to scale efficiently and operate affordably. Sygaldry AI servers combine multiple qubit types within a single, fault-tolerant architecture to deliver the combination of cost, scale, and speed necessary for advanced AI applications. We pioneer new domains in physics, engineering, and AI, tackling the hardest challenges with a grounded, optimistic, and rigorous culture. We’re looking for individuals ready to define the intersection of quantum and AI and drive its profound global impact.

What You’ll Work On

This role is focused on the modeling and simulation of high-performing AI hardware, and does not require prior knowledge of quantum computers. It will interface with a variety of internal teams and external partners with whom we are planning to collaborate. We will share more detail about this role during in-person discussions.

Key responsibilities:

• Develop performance models and simulators for large-scale distributed ML systems and emerging AI acceleration platforms.
• Model end-to-end training and inference performance across compute, memory, networking, and communication.
• Analyze workload parallelism, collective communication, scheduling, and data movement to identify system-level bottlenecks.
• Explore system architectures and hardware/software tradeoffs to improve performance, scalability, and efficiency.
• Build simulation frameworks for rapid design-space exploration across distributed GPU and next-generation accelerator systems.
• Collaborate with ML researchers, compiler engineers, and system architects to guide next-generation AI system design.

You May Be a Fit if You Have:

• PhD in Computer Engineering or Masters in Computer Engineering with 2-5 years relevant work experience
• A strong research track record, including publications at top-tier venues such as ISCA, MICRO, ASPLOS, MLSys, SOSP, VLDB, OSDI, or other leading systems conferences.
• Strong foundations in ML systems, distributed computing, and performance modeling.
• Experience with large-scale ML training or inference systems and distributed execution frameworks.
• Understanding of model parallelism, data parallelism, collective communication, and distributed scheduling.
• Experience building simulators, analytical performance models, or system-level benchmarking tools.
• Familiarity with GPU clusters, high-performance networking, and AI accelerator systems.
• Ability to reason from first principles, identify bottlenecks, and independently tackle open-ended research problems.
• Passion for rethinking how next-generation AI systems are designed and scaled.

How We’re Different

At Sygaldry, curiosity and intellectual courage drive our work. We approach ambitious challenges with a grounded, optimistic, and rigorous culture and know that kind people build the strongest teams. We prioritize mission over ego and collaborate openly with a strong sense of shared purpose. We dream big, yet we execute with a love of detail. We’re looking for scientists, engineers, and operators to forge new paths with us at the intersection of quantum and AI.

Culture & Benefits

• Visa Sponsorship - We know what it takes to make top talent thrive here. We’re open to supporting visas whenever possible.
• Compensation - We value your contribution and invest in your future with a competitive salary and meaningful equity.
• Benefits - Your well-being matters. We provide company-sponsored health coverage to give you and your family peace of mind.
• Connection - Whether it’s company offsite or casual crew socials, we make time to connect, recharge, and have fun together.
• Time Off - We trust you to take the time you need. Unlimited PTO so you can rest, recharge, and come back ready to make an impact.

We encourage applications from candidates with diverse backgrounds. We are an equal opportunity employer, and we do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or other applicable legally protected characteristic.

Location: This position can be located on-site in San Francisco, CA or Ann Arbor, MI