Software Engineer, Metal Runtime (API & Abstractions)

Socket.dev; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 100,000 - 500,000; Full time

Job summary

Tenstorrent is seeking a Software Engineer on the Metal Runtime team to work on low-level software that powers AI accelerators. The role involves designing efficient runtime systems and defining APIs that expose these capabilities to the software stack.

Candidates should be strong in C or C++ and have a passion for developing APIs that effectively communicate hardware functionalities while ensuring usability and performance. This is a hybrid role based in Austin, TX or Santa Clara, CA.

Qualifications

• Strong coding skills in C or C++, especially without abstraction.
• Comfortable with threads, processors, and memory management.
• Experience in designing libraries and interfaces for engineers.

Responsibilities

• Design and evolve host and device APIs for Metal runtime.
• Translate hardware behavior into high-performance abstractions.
• Collaborate with teams to ensure API usability and performance.

Skills

C or C++ coding

API design

Understanding of hardware

Collaboration

Usability and performance analysis

Job description

Tenstorrent is leading the industry on cutting‑edge AI technology, revolutionizing performance expectations, ease of use, and cost efficiency. With AI redefining the computing paradigm, solutions must evolve to unify innovations in software models, compilers, platforms, networking, and semiconductors. Our diverse team of technologists have developed a high performance RISC‑V CPU from scratch, and share a passion for AI and a deep desire to build the best AI platform possible. We value collaboration, curiosity, and a commitment to solving hard problems. We are growing our team and looking for contributors of all seniorities.

As a Software Engineer on the Metal Runtime team at Tenstorrent, you’ll work on the low‑level software that powers our AI accelerators. You’ll design fast, efficient runtime systems that run close to the hardware, and define the host and device APIs that expose these capabilities to the rest of the software stack. We believe APIs are a core part of systems design: they encode hardware semantics, performance tradeoffs, and concurrency models, and they live longer than any single implementation.

If you enjoy pushing performance, working close to the metal, and designing abstractions that make complex systems usable without sacrificing control, this is your kind of role.

This role is hybrid, based out of Santa Clara, CA; Austin, TX; Toronto, ON.

We welcome candidates at various experience levels for this role. During the interview process, candidates will be assessed for the appropriate level, and offers will align with that level, which may differ from the one in this posting.

Who You Are

• Strong coder in C or C++, and enjoy working close to hardware.
• Comfortable thinking in terms of threads, processors, and memory movement.
• Care deeply about API design, abstraction boundaries, and developer experience in low-level systems.
• Experienced (or interested in) designing libraries or interfaces used by other engineers.
• Think about long-term maintainability, usability, and clarity when designing systems.
• Curious about how runtimes and bare-metal software come together to power AI.
• Collaborative by nature and enjoy solving tough problems with smart people.

What We Need

• Design and evolve host and device APIs that expose Metal runtime capabilities clearly and efficiently.
• Translate low-level hardware behavior into intuitive, high-performance abstractions.
• Collaborate closely with runtime, kernel, and higher-level software teams to align API design with real-world usage.
• Ensure APIs balance performance, control, safety, and ease of use.
• Contribute to runtime implementation where needed to support API design and integration.
• Debug, analyze, and improve usability and performance across the software stack.

Nice to Have

• Experience designing or evolving non-trivial C++ APIs used by other engineers.
• Familiarity with APIs for accelerator systems (e.g., CUDA, SYCL, Vulkan, or similar).

What You Will Learn

• How to design APIs and abstractions for cutting-edge AI hardware.
• How to balance performance, control, and usability in low-level system design.
• How to translate hardware capabilities into clean, developer-friendly interfaces.
• Best practices for building maintainable, high-performance systems software.
• How software and hardware co-evolve in a fast-paced AI startup.

Compensation for all engineers at Tenstorrent ranges from $100k - $500k including base and variable compensation targets. Experience, skills, education, background and location all impact the actual offer made.

Tenstorrent offers a highly competitive compensation package and benefits, and we are an equal opportunity employer.

This offer of employment is contingent upon the applicant being eligible to access U.S. export‑controlled technology. Due to U.S. export laws, including those codified in the U.S. Export Administration Regulations (EAR), the Company is required to ensure compliance with these laws when transferring technology to nationals of certain countries (such as EAR Country Groups D:1, E1, and E2). These requirements apply to persons located in the U.S. and all countries outside the U.S. As the position offered will have direct and/or indirect access to information, systems, or technologies subject to these laws, the offer may be contingent upon your citizenship/permanent residency status or ability to obtain prior license approval from the U.S. Commerce Department or applicable federal agency. If employment is not possible due to U.S. export laws, any offer of employment will be rescinded.