RESPONSIBILITIES:- Build and maintain the lean, high-reliability Linux-based operating system that underpins our supercomputer network fabric.
- Write (or rewrite) high-performance device drivers to extract the maximum physical capability from our network and compute hardware.
- Manage deployment, operation, and debugging of our platform in production, including:
- Rigorous resolution and root-causing of anomalies to ensure the system is constantly improving in reliability.
- Developing and constantly improving our tools for observability and configuration management.
- Collaborate with our hardware teams and external partners to design the next generation of supercomputer hardware - and then bring up our OS and software stack on it.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS:- Hands-on systems programming experience in C or C++.
- Strong operating systems fundamentals (scheduling, memory management, I/O) - you must be able to articulate in extreme detail how a computer works, from the hardware all the way up to high-level applications.
- Understanding of computer networking, both in the host (OS stack) as well as common network devices like switches and routers.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:- Deep knowledge of the Linux kernel and its networking stack - transferable experience with another production-grade kernel is okay, too!
- Proficiency with debugging tools spanning kernel, network, and userspace (e.g., ftrace, perf, Wireshark/tcpdump, eBPF, gdb, and more).
- Experience bringing up new hardware from scratch - you have flashed bare-metal software on a microcontroller with JTAG, or bootstrapped a Linux kernel and rootfs on new hardware.
- Demonstrated track record of developing and optimizing device/peripheral drivers - ideally for high-speed interfaces, or with advanced considerations like DMA and cache coherency.
- Understanding of major peripheral hardware interface standards (Ethernet, PCIe, I2C, SPI, etc.) - you can critically review a schematic, and debug these interfaces if needed.
- Experience with product security, OS/system hardening, and secure boot schemes.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:$180,000 - $440,000 USD
Base salary is just one part of our total rewards package at xAI, which also includes equity, comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short & long-term disability insurance, life insurance, and various other discounts and perks.
