Senior Software Engineer

Astera Institute; Emeryville (CA); On-site; USD 100,000 - 400,000; Full time

Job summary

A private foundation focusing on neuroscience and AI is seeking a Senior Software Engineer in Emeryville, CA. This role involves architecting high-performance infrastructure for large-scale models, designing custom reinforcement learning environments, and turning research prototypes into scalable production systems. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in producing clean, maintainable code and a track record of solving difficult engineering challenges. Compensation for this position ranges from $100K to $400K.

Qualifications

• Clean, maintainable, and well-tested code at a startup pace.
• Experience architecting complex systems from scratch.
• Ability to adapt quickly to new complex domains.
• Proven track record of addressing difficult engineering challenges.

Responsibilities

• Architect high-performance infrastructure for training large-scale models.
• Design and optimize custom RL environments informed by neuroscience.
• Write clean, fast, production-grade code to boost research velocity.
• Transform research prototypes into scalable production systems.
• Address technical bottlenecks to support the research team.

Skills

Clean, maintainable code

System architecture

Adaptability

Problem-solving in distributed systems

Job description

Overview

About Astera: Astera is a private foundation with a $2.5B endowment on a mission to steer science and technology toward an abundant future for all. We operate like a high-velocity startup with access to computational resources and freedom from funding pressures or profit motives, inviting creative scientists and engineers from leading academic institutions and frontier AI labs. Obelisk is our large-scale AI research program pursuing a neuroscience-informed approach to engineering AGI, integrating neuroscience, AI, and bioengineering to understand and digitally model the architecture of the human brain.

Position Summary

We are looking for an ambitious Senior Software Engineer to help us reverse-engineer the human brain.

This role spans a broad spectrum of activities:

• Architect high-performance infrastructure for training large-scale models and running complex simulations.
• Design and optimize custom RL environments informed by neuroscience.
• Write clean, fast, production-grade code that boosts our research velocity.
• Turn research prototypes into scalable production systems.
• Tackle any technical bottleneck, from low-level optimization to high-level system design, to unblock the research team.

Qualifications

• High-Velocity Craftsmanship: You produce clean, maintainable, and well-tested code at a startup pace. You know how to balance engineering rigor with the need to iterate quickly on research prototypes.
• System Architecture Intuition: You have deep experience architecting complex systems from scratch. You understand the trade-offs, and you can design infrastructure that survives the chaos of research.
• Extreme Adaptability: You might be an expert in distributed systems today, but you are ready to become a novice in neuroscience tomorrow. You have a track record of diving into complex domains and mastering them quickly.
• Mastery of Hard Problems: You have a track record of tackling difficult engineering challenges, whether it is massive scale distributed systems or low-level optimization. You do not shy away from what your peers consider hardcore.

Location & Visa

• This role is in-person in Emeryville, CA.
• Visa sponsorship may be available for qualified candidates.

Compensation Range: $100K - $400K