Staff AI Systems Engineer

Archer; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 172,800 - 216,000; Full time

Job summary

Archer, an aerospace company in San Jose, seeks a Staff AI Systems Engineer to architect and manage infrastructure for large-scale AI model training and low-latency inference. You will bridge data and high-performance AI models, deploying resilient multi-cloud systems and optimizing LLM serving engines.

You will work with AI researchers and software engineers to productionize models, monitor bottlenecks, and ensure scalable compute strategies across cloud and bare-metal environments.

Qualifications

• Education: BS/MS/PhD in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field.
• Experience: 5+ years of professional software engineering focused on AI/ML systems, HPC, or ML infrastructure.
• Familiarity with hyper-scaler infrastructure (AWS) and AI-centric clouds (Nebius AI Cloud).
• Hands-on with containerization (Docker) and production orchestration (Kubernetes) and cloud-agnostic cluster abstraction (SkyPilot).
• Knowledge of LLM serving optimization using frameworks like vLLM and SGLang.
• Data engineering for AI: high-throughput data pipelines; SQL, NoSQL, Parquet.

Responsibilities

• Architect, deploy, and manage infrastructure services for large-scale AI model training and inference.
• Deploy, scale, and manage resilient infra for distributed AI training and low-latency inference.
• Utilize MLflow for experiment tracking and model registry to streamline AI lifecycle.
• Optimize compute and inference, manage multi-cloud compute scheduling, and LLM serving engines.
• Collaborate with AI researchers and software engineers to productionize models and monitor performance.

Skills

AI systems

HPC

ML infrastructure

Docker

Kubernetes

SkyPilot

vLLM

SGLang

SQL/NoSQL/Parquet

Education

BS/MS/PhD in CS/SE

Tools

AWS

Nebius AI Cloud

Nebius AI Cloud

SkyPilot

Job description

Archer is an aerospace company based in San Jose, California building an all-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft with a mission to advance the benefits of sustainable air mobility. We are designing, manufacturing, and operating an all-electric aircraft that can carry four passengers while producing minimal noise.

Our sights are set high and our problems are hard, and we believe that diversity in the workplace is what makes us smarter, drives better insights, and will ultimately lift us all to success. We are dedicated to cultivating an equitable and inclusive environment that embraces our differences, and supports and celebrates all of our team members.

What You’ll Do

As a Staff AI Systems Engineer, you will architect, deploy, and manage the critical infrastructure services required for large-scale AI model training and inference. You will ensure our machine learning platforms are robust and efficient, bridging the gap between raw data and high-performance AI models.

• Infrastructure & Orchestration: Deploy, scale, and manage resilient infrastructure services tailored for distributed AI model training and low-latency inference.
• Maturity & MLOps: Utilize and maintain end-to-end tooling—including MLflow for experiment tracking and model registry—to streamline and optimize the AI development lifecycle.
• Compute & Inference Optimization: Leverage specialized frameworks to maximize hardware utilization, managing multi-cloud compute scheduling alongside advanced LLM serving engines.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with AI researchers and Software Engineers to productionize cutting-edge models, establish monitoring systems, and debug complex performance bottlenecks at the hardware-software interface.

What You Need

• Education: BS/MS/PhD degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience: 5+ years of professional software engineering experience with a dedicated focus on AI/ML systems, high-performance computing (HPC), or ML infrastructure.
• Multi-Cloud & Compute Management: Familiarity with hyper-scaler infrastructure (AWS) alongside specialized AI-centric bare-metal and GPU clouds (Nebius AI Cloud).
• Cloud‑Native Orchestration & Abstraction: Hands‑on experience with containerization (Docker) and production‑grade orchestration (Kubernetes), paired with cloud‑agnostic cluster abstractors like SkyPilot to manage multi‑region GPU availability.
• LLM Serving Optimization: Deep architectural understanding of large language models and the system infrastructure required to serve them at scale using frameworks like vLLM and SGLang.
• Data Engineering for AI: Experience building high‑throughput data pipelines to support large-scale training, including proficiency in SQL, NoSQL, and columnar storage formats optimized for ML (e.g., Parquet).

Bonus Qualifications

• Familiarity with audio processing, speech‑to‑text frameworks, or Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) pipelines.
• Prior experience or a deep technical interest in aerospace, aviation, or autonomous systems (e.g., safety‑critical software, edge‑AI deployments).

At Archer we aim to attract, retain, and motivate talent that possess the skills and leadership necessary to grow our business. For this position we are targeting a base pay between $172,800–$216,000. Actual compensation offered will be determined by factors such as job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience.

Archer is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusivity in the workplace. All aspects of employment are decided on the basis of merit, qualifications, and business needs. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

Archer is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to job applicants with physical or mental disabilities, and those with sincerely held religious beliefs. Applicants who may require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should provide their name and contact information to Archer’s People Team at [e-mail]. Reasonable accommodations will be determined on a case‑by‑case basis.

Archer is unable to provide work visa sponsorship for this position at the present time.