Platform Software Architect, Senior / Staff

About Positron AI

Positron AI specializes in developing custom hardware systems to accelerate AI inference. These inference systems offer significant performance and efficiency gains over traditional GPU-based systems, delivering advantages in both performance per dollar and performance per watt. Positron exists to create the world's best AI inference systems.

Role Overview

Positron AI is hiring platform software architects to define the hardware/software contract for Asimov and the generations that follow. You will work across silicon architecture, firmware, operating systems, runtime, simulation, security, performance, and developer tooling.

This is a direct technical-leadership role reporting to the Director of Accelerator Platform Software. It is intentionally not buried inside a delivery team: you will maintain a cross-generation view, make durable interface decisions, and still contribute reference implementations where code is the clearest way to resolve ambiguity.

Key Responsibilities

Architecture and Interface Definition

• Define the multi-generation platform software architecture for current Asimov silicon and at least one materially new future architecture, specifying stable, versioned interfaces for boot, commands, memory, DMA, C2C, scheduling, telemetry, errors, reset, security, and host/device interaction.

Cross-System Integration

• Connect GOLD, the Asimov interpreter and runtime, libasimov, firmware, Linux, simulation, and post-silicon tools into one coherent architecture.

Technical Leadership and Execution

• Lead architecture reviews, document decisions and trade-offs, and drive cross-team issues to closure without becoming a process bottleneck.

Prototyping and Mentorship

• Build prototypes or reference code for the riskiest interfaces, and mentor senior engineers across the organization.

Security and Performance Partnership

• Partner with Product Security and Performance Systems so that protection, observability, debuggability, and throughput are treated as first-class architectural properties.

Required Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in low-level platform software, firmware, operating systems, runtimes, device drivers, compilers, or adjacent systems, with architecture-level ownership.
• Deep understanding of computer architecture, memory systems, concurrency, device I/O, hardware/software interfaces, and system bring-up.
• Strong C or C++ skills, paired with the judgment to choose when a specification, model, prototype, or production implementation is the right artifact.
• Proven ability to influence multiple engineering teams without relying on reporting authority.
• Demonstrated ability to turn ambiguous product and silicon goals into precise interfaces, milestones, and testable system behavior.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with AI accelerators, GPUs, networking or storage ASICs, or other high-performance devices.
• Hands-on experience spanning pre-silicon models, emulation, first silicon, and production software.
• Familiarity with trusted boot, model protection, distributed inference, KV-cache systems, or performance modeling.

Leveling and 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

In the first 12 months, the end-to-end Asimov software architecture and ownership map are clear, reviewable, and tied to implementation milestones. High-risk hardware/software contracts are specified and exercised in Terminus or Titan before silicon. A forward-looking architecture track is active for a non-evolutionary future device, while current-silicon delivery remains unblocked.

Why Join Us?

• Shape the foundational hardware/software architecture for a new generation of AI inference silicon, with direct influence on decisions that will span multiple future product generations.
• Take on a technical-leadership role with real autonomy, reporting directly to the Director of Accelerator Platform Software rather than being layered inside a delivery team.

Compensation & Benefits

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