System Software Engineer - AI

Delos Data; Palo Alto (CA); Hybrid; USD 140,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

401k

Benefits

Job summary

Delos Data is hiring a System Software Engineer to bridge high‑level AI frameworks with low‑level system software. You will design and implement communication and execution primitives enabling large‑scale AI models to run efficiently on thousands of GPUs.

The role emphasizes solving hard systems problems in the generative AI era, with a hybrid work setup in Palo Alto or Charlottesville, VA, and a compensation package including equity and 401(k) benefits.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's in CS/CE or a related field.
• Strong systems programming experience in Linux.
• Solid knowledge of memory management and concurrency.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate across the stack to influence the design of our foundational technology for next‑gen AI models.
• Identify and resolve performance bottlenecks in distributed training and inference workloads via deep analytical work at the software–hardware interface.
• Conduct rigorous performance benchmarking and characterization on multi‑node clusters.

Skills

C++

Python

Linux

Memory management

Concurrency

OS internals

CUDA

PyTorch

JAX

DeepSpeed

vLLM

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in CS/CE

Job description

About Us We are a stealth-mode startup building foundational technology to address performance, scalability, and resiliency challenges in large-scale AI data center clusters. We are backed by top-tier VC firms and notable angel investors.

The company is led by experienced builders and operators who have founded companies, taken them to scale, and exited successfully. We work with a strong sense of unity and shared responsibility, and we expect trust, integrity, and respect in how we collaborate and make decisions. We hold ourselves accountable to one another and to the quality of the work we deliver.

Headquartered in Silicon Valley, we operate across a mix of remote and on-site locations in the U.S. and Canada. We aim to create an environment where people are treated fairly, supported in their growth, and are empowered to do meaningful work alongside others who take the craft seriously.

Some Recent Press The company is featured in industry coverage and press materials.

We Are Looking For

We are looking for a talented System Software Engineer to help us redefine the infrastructure layer of AI. In this role, you will bridge the gap between high-level AI frameworks and low-level system software. You will be responsible for designing and implementing the communication and execution primitives that allow large-scale AI models to run efficiently across thousands of GPUs. We are looking for a "builder" who thrives in the early stages of a product’s lifecycle and is passionate about solving the "hard" systems problems of the generative AI era.

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate across the stack to influence the design of our foundational technology, ensuring it meets the needs of next-generation AI models.
• Identify and resolve performance bottlenecks in distributed training and inference workloads through deep-dive analysis of the software-hardware interface.
• Conduct rigorous performance benchmarking and characterization on multi-node clusters.

Required Skills And Qualifications

• Strong proficiency in C++ and Python, with a deep understanding of systems programming fundamentals (memory management, concurrency, OS internals).
• Proficient in a Linux development environment.

Desired Skills

• Experience with GPU programming (CUDA) and performance optimization for parallel architectures.
• Familiarity with distributed AI frameworks (PyTorch, JAX, or DeepSpeed) and/or inference engines (vLLM, SGLang, Dynamo/TRT-LLM).
• Hands-on experience with large-scale cluster orchestration and telemetry tools.

Education

• Bachelor\'s or Master\'s degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.

Location

This is a hybrid role based in Palo Alto or Charlottesville, VA.

Compensation

Target base salary for this role is $140,000 - $200,000 per year + meaningful equity + benefits + 401k. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, experience, and location.

We are an equal opportunity employer. We value a range of perspectives and experiences and make employment decisions based on merit and business needs. We do not discriminate on the basis of legally protected characteristics.