Distinguished Engineer / Technical Fellow

armada.ai; Bellevue (WA); On-site; USD 231,600 - 289,500; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

Health savings and flexible spending accounts

401(k) retirement plan options

Unlimited paid time off

14 paid company holidays

Job summary

Armada.ai is seeking a Distinguished Engineer / Technical Fellow to architect the long-term technical vision of the company. This role demands a builder-leader who can tackle complex challenges including data centers in space and high-density compute architectures.

You will work alongside elite industry partners, leading innovations and defining a strategic technical roadmap. A competitive salary range from $231,600 to $289,500 USD is offered, along with equity and comprehensive benefits.

Qualifications

• 15+ years of software engineering experience as a senior technical leader.
• Mastery of distributed systems and resource-constrained environments.
• Deep understanding of how software interacts with hardware.

Responsibilities

• Lead evolution of the Armada Edge Platform.
• Drive architectural roadmap for visionary initiatives.
• Collaborate with industry partners to design deep-tech solutions.
• Define a 3–5 year technical roadmap with leadership.

Skills

Data Center operations

High-density compute

AI Infrastructure

Distributed systems

Systems programming (Go, C++, Rust)

Networking stacks optimization

Job description

Distinguished Engineer / Technical Fellow

About the Company

Armada is the hyperscaler for the edge, delivering modular AI infrastructure from first deployment to AI factory with speed, scale and sovereignty. Named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies and the CNBC Disruptor 50, Armada’s solutions are deployed in over 60 countries globally for organizations ranging from energy to defense.

With nearly half a billion dollars in funding, Armada is backed by top investors such as Microsoft (M12), Founders Fund, and BlackRock, and has collaborations and partnerships including NVIDIA, Palantir and Dell Technologies. We are looking for the most brilliant minds in the world to join us.

Working at Armada means taking ownership, driving autonomy, and delivering impact. You’ll tackle challenges that haven’t been solved before and help build something transformative from the ground up. What you do here will not only define your career but help further Armada’s mission to bridge the digital divide for customers around the world.

About the Role

As a Distinguished Engineer / Technical Fellow, you will be the primary architect of Armada’s long‑term technical vision. This is a "builder‑leader" role for a world‑class technologist who possesses a deep, fundamental understanding of data center architecture, high‑density compute, and massive‑scale AI infrastructure. You will solve the most difficult technical hurdles across our core product suite while leading the R&D for "Next Horizon" projects, such as Data Centers in Space. Beyond internal development, you will act as a key technical diplomat, collaborating with our most strategic industry partners to design deep‑tech solutions that deepen Armada’s product adoption and expand our reach into entirely new frontiers.

What You’ll Do (Key Responsibilities)

• Architecting the Universal Edge: Lead the evolution of the Armada Edge Platform (AEP), ensuring seamless orchestration of compute and AI workloads across globally distributed, high‑latency, and disconnected environments.
• Next Horizon Projects: Drive the architectural roadmap for visionary initiatives, including Data Centers in Space. This involves adapting the Armada stack for orbital compute modules and solving for the unique challenges of Low Earth Orbit (LEO)—including radiation‑tolerant software, thermal management, and power‑constrained AI processing.
• Strategic Partner Engineering: Work directly with elite industry partners to co‑design solutions that integrate Armada’s technology deeper into their global ecosystems. You will ensure our platform becomes the standard infrastructure for compute, whether terrestrial or orbital.
• Technical Strategy: Partner with Company Leadership to define the 3–5 year technical roadmap, identifying emerging technologies in high‑density GPU orchestration and orbital data processing that align with our long‑term business goals.
• Hard‑Problem Solver: Act as the final point of escalation for complex architectural challenges involving real‑time data streaming, computer vision, and network‑aware workload distribution.
• Innovation & R&D: Lead Proof‑of‑Concepts for next‑generation capabilities, such as in‑orbit inference, adaptive learning at the edge, and secure Earth‑to‑space data orchestration.
• Mentorship: Elevate the entire engineering organization by mentoring Staff and Principal engineers, fostering a culture of high‑performance engineering and architectural rigor.

Required Qualifications

• Core Infrastructure Mastery: Deep understanding of Data Center operations, Compute architectures (CPU/GPU/NPU), and AI Infrastructure at scale. You should understand the full stack from silicon to the orchestration layer.
• Experience: 15+ years of software engineering experience, with a proven track record as a Distinguished Engineer, Fellow, or equivalent senior technical leader at a major infrastructure or AI company.
• Distributed Systems Mastery: Expert‑level knowledge of distributed systems and data storage in resource‑constrained, remote, or "denied" environments.
• Systems Programming: Mastery of Go, C++, or Rust, with a deep understanding of how software interacts with physical compute hardware and non‑terrestrial networking layers.
• Ecosystem Influence: Proven ability to work across company lines with partners to build "1+1=3" technical solutions that drive adoption and industry standards.

Preferred Qualifications

• Deep understanding of networking stacks, specifically optimization for satellite and terrestrial mesh networks.
• Interest or experience in orbital mechanics, radiation‑tolerant software design, or space‑based communication protocols.
• Experience building "Day 2" operations for fleets of thousands of remote, distributed devices in harsh environments.

Compensation

For U.S. Based candidates: To ensure fairness and transparency, the starting base salary range for this role for candidates in the U.S. are listed below, varying based on location experience, skills, and qualifications.

In addition to base salary, this role will also be offered equity and subsidized benefits (details available upon request).

• Competitive base salary and equity
• Medical, dental, and vision (subsidized cost)
• Health savings accounts (HSA), flexible spending accounts (FSA), and dependent care FSAs (DCFSA)
• Retirement plan options, including 401(k) and Roth 401(k)
• Unlimited paid time off (PTO)
• 14 paid company holidays per year

Compensation

$231,600 - $289,500 USD

You're a Great Fit if You're

• A go‑getter with a growth mindset. You're intellectually curious, have strong business acumen, and actively seek opportunities to build relevant skills and knowledge.
• A detail‑oriented problem‑solver. You can independently gather information, solve problems efficiently, and deliver results with a "get‑it‑done" attitude.
• Thrive in a fast‑paced environment. You're energized by an entrepreneurial spirit, capable of working quickly, and excited to contribute to a growing company.
• A collaborative team player. You focus on business success and are motivated by team accomplishment vs personal agenda.
• Highly organized and results‑driven. Strong prioritization skills and a dedicated work ethic are essential for you.

Equal Opportunity Statement

At Armada, we are committed to fostering a work environment where everyone is given equal opportunities to thrive. As an equal opportunity employer, we strictly prohibit discrimination or harassment based on race, color, gender, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other characteristic protected by law. This policy applies to all employment decisions, including hiring, promotions, and compensation. Our hiring is guided by qualifications, merit, and the business needs at the time.