Institute of Foundation Models

Researches and develops foundation models

High Performance Computing Software Engineer - Supercomputing

Systems Software EngineeringConfirmed live in the last 24 hours

Full-timeAbu Dhabi - United Arab EmiratesNo salary listed

About the Job

Requirements

Proven experience developing and optimizing software for large-scale machine learning workloads; experience with 1,000 or more GPUs is preferred.
Deep understanding of Linux kernel internals and accelerator (GPU) kernel development.
Proficiency with distributed communication libraries such as NCCL, RCCL, MPI, UCX, SHARP, or Libfabric.
Experience with machine learning frameworks such as PyTorch, TensorFlow, JAX, or MegatronLM.
Strong knowledge of high-performance computing job scheduling and orchestration tools such as Slurm, Kubernetes, or Pyxis.
Strong debugging and systems performance tuning skills.

Responsibilities

Design and implement high-performance, distributed software solutions for large-scale AI and machine learning training.
Optimize low-level system components, including the Linux kernel, GPU/accelerator kernels, and interconnects.
Develop and tune communication libraries such as NCCL, MPI, UCX, RCCL, and RDMA-based systems.
Partner with machine learning researchers and engineers to support frameworks such as PyTorch, MegatronLM, and DeepSpeed in large-scale production environments.
Contribute to scheduling, orchestration, and job management systems, including Slurm and Kubernetes.
Debug and resolve complex issues across the stack, from kernel to container to model.
Work with hardware vendors, upstream open-source communities, and internal teams to improve performance and reliability.

Desired Qualifications

Experience working with large-scale machine learning workloads spanning 1,000 or more GPUs.

About the Institute of Foundation Models

We are a dedicated research lab for building, understanding, using, and risk-managing foundation models. Our mandate is to advance research, nurture the next generation of AI builders, and drive transformative contributions to a knowledge-driven economy.

As part of our team, you’ll have the opportunity to work on the core of cutting-edge foundation model training, alongside world-class researchers, data scientists, and engineers, tackling the most fundamental and impactful challenges in AI development. You will participate in the development of groundbreaking AI solutions that have the potential to reshape entire industries. Strategic and innovative problem-solving skills will be instrumental in establishing MBZUAI as a global hub for high-performance computing in deep learning, driving impactful discoveries that inspire the next generation of AI pioneers.

The Role

IFM is building the foundational compute infrastructure that will power tomorrow’s breakthroughs in AI and computational science. We’re looking for a High Performance Computing Software Engineer to help us design, develop, and operate the software systems that run our large-scale AI workloads.

In this role, you’ll work at the intersection of high-performance computing and machine learning. You’ll be part of a team responsible for crafting the software stack that enables training of cutting-edge ML models—spanning 1000+ GPUs—and ensuring our infrastructure is robust, performant, and developer-friendly.

Job Responsibilities

Design and implement high-performance, distributed software solutions for large-scale AI/ML training.
Optimize low-level system components including Linux kernel, GPU/accelerator kernels, and interconnects.
Develop and tune communication libraries such as NCCL, MPI, UCX, RCCL, and RDMA-based systems.
Partner with ML researchers and engineers to support frameworks like PyTorch, MegatronLM, and DeepSpeed in large-scale production environments.
Contribute to our scheduling, orchestration, and job management systems, including Slurm and Kubernetes.
Debug and resolve complex issues across the stack—from kernel to container to model.
Work closely with hardware vendors, upstream open-source communities, and internal teams to drive performance and reliability improvements.

Skills & Experience

Proven experience developing and optimizing software for large-scale ML workloads (1000+ GPUs preferred).
Deep understanding of Linux kernel internals and accelerator (GPU) kernel development.
Proficiency with distributed communication libraries (e.g., NCCL, RCCL, MPI, UCX, SHARP, Libfabric).
Experience with ML frameworks like PyTorch, TensorFlow, JAX, or MegatronLM.
Strong knowledge of HPC job scheduling and orchestration tools (e.g., Slurm, Kubernetes, Pyxis).
Excellent debugging and systems performance tuning skills.
A collaborative mindset with a focus on shared success and technical excellence.

About the Company

Institute of Foundation Models

Researches and develops foundation models

IFM builds and studies foundation models—large AI models designed to learn broadly from diverse data and be used across many tasks. Its work centers on academic research to create open, fast, and practical models that address real-world societal needs, rather than narrow applications. The models are developed by a global team across Abu Dhabi, Paris, and Silicon Valley, with a strong emphasis on openness and collaboration to advance AI science and accessibility. Unlike typical private labs that lock models behind paywalls, IFM aims to provide publicly accessible, efficient models that can be used by researchers and developers to solve real problems. The overarching goal is to push the science of foundation models forward while ensuring their benefits reach society at large.

Company size: Not listed
Company stage: Not listed
Total funding: Not listed
Headquarters: United Arab Emirates
Founded: Not listed

Recently Posted Jobs

Explore more opportunities at Institute of Foundation Models

See more jobs