Senior Infrastructure Engineer New

Vast.ai Inc.; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits

401(k) matching

Equity

Onsite meals

Collaborative startup culture

Job summary

Vast.ai is seeking a Senior Infrastructure Engineer to design and scale the core systems powering our GPU marketplace. You’ll work with founders and the core team to extend the compute platform—from GPU provisioning and scheduling to billing, orchestration, and marketplace dynamics.

We’re looking for someone who has built large-scale infrastructure platforms—systems with similarities to Vast.ai, or distributed compute orchestration frameworks.

Qualifications

• Experience building high-throughput backend systems or compute clouds.
• Familiarity with Docker or custom scheduling frameworks.
• Understanding of GPU provisioning, driver management, and workload scheduling.
• Implemented or integrated usage-based billing and account credit systems.
• Knowledge of dynamic pricing, spot instances, or supply-demand balancing mechanisms.
• Experience designing secure, multi-tenant systems in cloud environments.
• Strong programming skills in Python and C++ with maintainable, well-architected code.
• Comfortable designing schemas for large-scale data systems (PostgreSQL).

Responsibilities

• Improve the backend systems that power Vast.ai’s compute marketplace.
• Integrate GPU provider onboarding, usage tracking, billing, and orchestration APIs.
• Develop scalable infrastructure for workload scheduling and resource management.
• Optimize pricing and marketplace logic for efficiency and transparency.
• Benchmark, profile, and harden systems for performance, reliability, and fault tolerance.
• Collaborate with product and infrastructure teams to shape the future of decentralized compute.

Skills

Distributed systems

Compute orchestration

GPU infrastructure

Billing & metering

Marketplace dynamics

Security & multi-tenancy

Programming: Python & C++

PostgreSQL database design

Tools

Docker

KVM

PostgreSQL

Linux

Terraform

AWS

REST/gRPC APIs

Job description

About Us

Vast.ai’s cloud powers AI projects and businesses all over the world. We are democratizing and decentralizing AI computing—reshaping our future for the benefit of humanity.

We are a growing and highly motivated team dedicated to an ambitious technical plan. Our structure is flat, our ambitions are out‑sized, and leadership is earned by shipping excellence.

We seek engineers with strong intrinsic drive, a true passion for advancing the state of the art, and a mix of architecture, coding, and communication skills.

LOCATION: On-site at our office in San Francisco or Westwood, Los Angeles.

About the Role

As a Senior Infrastructure Engineer, you will help design and scale the core systems that power Vast.ai’s global GPU marketplace.

You’ll work closely with our founders and core engineering team to extend the underlying compute infrastructure — from GPU provisioning and scheduling to billing, orchestration, and marketplace dynamics.

We’re looking for someone who has previously built large-scale infrastructure platforms — systems with similarities to Vast.ai, or distributed compute orchestration frameworks.

Full-time · On-site at either our SF or LA offices

Tech Stack

Python, C++, PostgreSQL, Linux, Docker, KVM, Redis, Terraform, AWS, REST/gRPC APIs

Ideal Experience

• Distributed Systems: Experience building high-throughput backend systems or compute clouds

• Compute Orchestration: Familiarity with Docker, or custom scheduling frameworks

• GPU Infrastructure: Understanding of GPU provisioning, driver management, and workload scheduling

• Billing & Metering: Implemented or integrated usage-based billing and account credit systems

• Marketplace Dynamics: Knowledge of dynamic pricing, spot instances, or supply-demand balancing mechanisms

• Security & Multi-Tenancy: Experience designing secure, multi-tenant systems in cloud environments

• Programming: Strong programming skills in Python and C++; ability to write performant, maintainable, well-architected code

• Database Expertise: Comfortable designing schemas and queries for large-scale data systems (PostgreSQL preferred)

Bonus points for:

• Experience with GPU security, virtualization, or zero-trust compute isolation

• Prior startup experience or end-to-end product ownership

Key Responsibilities

• Improve the backend systems that power Vast.ai’s compute marketplace

• Integrate GPU provider onboarding, usage tracking, billing, and orchestration APIs

• Develop scalable infrastructure for workload scheduling and resource management

• Optimize pricing and marketplace logic for efficiency and transparency

• Benchmark, profile, and harden systems for performance, reliability, and fault tolerance

• Collaborate with product and infrastructure teams to shape the future of decentralized compute

Interview Process

After submitting your application, our technical team reviews your credentials. If selected, you'll proceed through the following stages:

• 15 min - Initial screening (virtual)

• 45 min - Quick dive into Vast, work history (virtual)

• 45 min - Systems and architectures (virtual)

• 1 hour - LLM-assisted coding assessment (virtual)

• 2 hours - Meet and greet with coding assessment (on-site)

Our goal is to complete the interview process in two weeks.

Benefits

• Comprehensive health, dental, vision, and life insurance

• 401(k) with company match

• Meaningful early-stage equity

• Onsite meals, snacks, and close collaboration with founders/tech leaders

• Ambitious, fast-paced startup culture where initiative is rewarded