Role OverviewAs a Systems Engineer on our Experiments & Integration team, you will be the engineer who answers the urgent questions. Hardware, software, and customer teams bring the simulation team a steady stream of unplanned requests: run this model on the emulator, measure that bottleneck, help this team integrate. You will work across all of those teams, on both simulation and hardware emulation, to turn each request into a fast, measured answer.
The work is varied and hands-on: standing up a new model on the emulator, profiling where time goes, or trying a configuration a stakeholder wants to see. You will own this queue so the engineers building the roadmap can stay focused on it, and you will leave each investigation behind as a reusable model, test, or script.
Key ResponsibilitiesRapid Response and Experiments- Serve as the first responder for simulation and emulation requests from hardware, software, and customer teams, partnering with the existing experiments and integration engineers so urgent asks get answered while roadmap work stays protected.
- Run quick experiments and demos, such as getting a new LLM running on the emulator, profiling where time goes, or trying a configuration a stakeholder wants to see.
Performance Measurement- Measure and explain performance using counters, traces, and end-to-end timing, reported along with their limits and their drivers.
Integration and Reusable Assets- Help other teams build on the simulators and the emulation setup when they need integration support.
- Convert each investigation into a reusable asset, such as a calibrated model, a repeatable experiment, or a regression test.
Required Qualifications- 4+ years of experience as a hands-on systems or performance engineer.
- Demonstrated experience running LLM inference workloads end to end and finding where time goes, including weight loading, memory bandwidth, and host-device synchronization.
- A strong understanding of performance measurement, including counters, execution traces, profiling, and reporting results with their limits.
- Hands-on experience with host-side driver and runtime code, and comfort working close to hardware.
- Ability to move fast on loosely specified requests, make assumptions explicit, and finish by making the result repeatable.
- Strong Rust skills, or expert-level C/C++ skills and a willingness to work in Rust day to day, along with proficiency in Python and fluency with Linux, shell scripting, containers, and CI.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to give stakeholders a direct answer, what it rests on, and what to do next.
Preferred Qualifications- Experience with hardware emulators such as Cadence Palladium or Synopsys ZeBu, or with FPGA boards.
- A track record of bringing up new workloads on early or unstable hardware.
Leveling & ScopeWhile this role is currently posted at a specific level, we are a growth-oriented organization and are open to hiring at a more senior level for the right candidate. Please note that this job description serves as a focused but generalized overview of the role; specific responsibilities and impact expectations will be tailored to the experience and seniority of the final hire.
Why Join Us?- You will see the whole stack, from emulated silicon to customer models, and be the person teams across the company rely on for fast, trustworthy answers.
- Every investigation you run becomes lasting infrastructure that makes the next answer faster for everyone.
Compensation & BenefitsThe base salary range for this role is Mid: $160,000-$220,000, Senior: $220,000-$270,000, Principal: $270,000-$350,000.
Please note that the figures provided represent the base salary range only and do not include other elements of our total compensation package, equity, or comprehensive benefits.
At Positron AI, we value the unique expertise each candidate brings. While the range above reflects our typical expectation for the position, we reserve the flexibility to exceed this range for candidates whose specialized skills, significant experience, or unique qualifications fall outside the standard scope of the role. Final offers are determined based on a variety of factors, including internal equity, and individual impact.
Benefits & PerksWe want you to do your best work and feel confident that you and your family are taken care of. That means comprehensive coverage, real time to rest, and support for your future.
Health and wellness- Fully company-paid medical, dental, and vision insurance for you and your dependents
- Company-paid life and disability coverage, with voluntary options to add more
- Supplemental hospital, critical illness, and accident coverage available
Time off and flexibility- Unlimited paid time off; we encourage everyone to truly unplug and recharge
- 13 paid company holidays
- Remote-first culture with a company-provided computer and home office setup
Compensation and future- Competitive salary and equity
- 401(k) with company matching, eligible from day one
Visa SupportThis position is open to candidates currently authorized to work in the U.S. We cannot provide new visa sponsorship for this role but are open to facilitating H-1B visa transfers for eligible candidates.
