Performance & Debug Software Engineer - AI Inference

About Positron AI

Positron AI is building next-generation AI inference accelerators designed from the ground up for low-latency, high-throughput large language model inference. Our first-generation ASIC, Asimov, is a cutting-edge accelerator targeting frontier AI workloads, with additional generations already underway.

Role Overview

This engineer will improve end-to-end large language model (LLM) inference performance on Positron's custom AI accelerators, including our FPGA-based Atlas systems and our Titan systems built on the Asimov ASIC. The work spans hardware-accelerated attention, accelerator tuning, distributed KV cache, and scalable inference serving architectures. It covers profiling, algorithms, GPU-side data preparation, host-to-device data movement, runtime behavior, and measurement on production-relevant models.

You will join a small, performance-focused team that is expected to optimize the whole stack, and not merely tune isolated kernel interfaces. The goal is to sustain a repeatable path from observing workload symptoms to identifying root causes and creating measured improvements.

Key Responsibilities

Performance Profiling and Optimization

• Profile and optimize latency, throughput, utilization, and efficiency across hardware-accelerated attention, accelerator configuration, the device runtime, host software, and on-device execution.
• Use performance counters, hardware and software traces, telemetry, and simulation to isolate regressions and validate fixes.

Distributed Inference and KV Cache

• Develop and optimize distributed inference capabilities, including efficient KV cache management and data movement across heterogeneous hardware.

Benchmarking and Test Infrastructure

• Build representative benchmarks and workload traces that expose bottlenecks in compute, memory, chip-to-chip interconnect, networking, scheduling, and model loading.
• Partner with test engineers embedded in the team to turn performance findings into durable regression tests and release gates.

Architecture Influence

• Influence hardware and software architecture and interfaces where measured performance reveals a structural limitation.

Required Qualifications

• Strong C++ and Python skills, with hands-on experience profiling and optimizing complex systems that exercise Linux VFIO interfaces..
• Deep understanding of memory hierarchy, concurrency, data movement, batching, scheduling, and performance measurement.
• Hands-on experience using profilers, counters, traces, and statistical methods to distinguish signal from noise.
• Demonstrated ability to debug across application, runtime, driver, firmware, and hardware boundaries.
• Experience bringing up software on new silicon, and debugging and analyzing performance optimizations in customer production deployments.
• Enthusiasm for AI-accelerated software development, including using coding agents and orchestrating subagents to move faster without compromising engineering outcomes.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with CUDA, HIP, Triton, GPU kernel development, distributed inference, or KV cache systems.
• Familiarity with transformer inference, mixture-of-experts (MoE) models, model serving, FPGA or ASIC accelerators.
• Working knowledge of Perfetto, Linux perf, eBPF, simulation, or hardware performance counters.

Leveling & Scope

While 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.

What Success Looks Like

Within the first 12 months:

• A baseline performance scorecard exists for priority workloads, with repeatable measurement and clearly identified bottlenecks.
• At least one major bottleneck in hardware-accelerated attention, accelerator tuning, or distributed inference has been removed, with an automated regression guard in place.
• A key distributed inference data path has a working implementation with quantified end-to-end cost.

Why Join Us?

• Work on a small, high-leverage performance team with the mandate to debug and improve the full stack, from application code down to firmware and hardware, rather than being confined to a single layer.
• Help shape the distributed inference architecture and KV cache strategy for a custom inference accelerator at a formative stage, with direct influence over interfaces and system design.

Compensation & Benefits

The base salary range for this role is $200,000 – $300,000.

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 & Perks

We 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 Support

This 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.

Equal Opportunity Employer. If you're excited about the role but don't meet every bullet, we'd still love to hear from you.