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Director of Engineering, Flex Compute

CrusoeSan Francisco, CA - USCloud Engineering
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Salary
$285K - $335K USD
Job type
Full-time
Posted
24 Aug 2026
Status
Open · checked 7d ago

About this role

The Director of Engineering, Flex Compute position at Crusoe is an on-site leadership opportunity based in San Francisco, California. This role suits an experienced software engineering leader ready to architect utility-facing, safety-critical control systems from the ground up.

Role Overview

Crusoe seeks a Director of Engineering, Flex Compute to manage the system that aligns energy footprints with software controls. Power is the primary constraint on artificial intelligence infrastructure, and Crusoe's vertically integrated stack bridges electrons to tokens. This position involves building a flexible compute system that reduces data center power draw on demand while safeguarding critical workloads. The successful candidate will define the architecture, launch the initial production system, and build a high-performing engineering team from scratch.

Key Responsibilities

Own the curtailment orchestration and decision layer, including grid-signal ingestion, staged shedding, and per-SKU power capping without dropping paid workloads.
Land a utility-validated pilot featuring rapid ramp to setpoints, tight accuracy, high-fidelity telemetry, and rigorous test harnesses.
Deliver dynamic power management for oversubscription to host more graphics processing units per megawatt without impacting customers.
Build fast, workload-aware graphics processing unit power estimation validated against fleet telemetry to drive shed forecasting and power planning.
Design for safety through authenticated signal ingress, bounded blast radii, fail-safe defaults, and manual backstops.
Manage graceful ride-through of power-loss and grid-stress events integrated with on-site battery and generation backstops.
Partner directly with Data Center Engineering and Energy teams regarding interconnection commitments and battery energy storage system integration.
Integrate solutions with the cloud control plane across Kubernetes and Slurm fleets.
Make build-versus-leverage decisions regarding vendor power-management stacks and grid integration layers.
Hire and lead the team from the ground up, maintaining efficient headcount growth through automation.

Requirements

Twelve or more years of overall experience in software engineering.
Five or more years of experience leading engineering teams, specifically taking systems from zero to one up to production scale.
Deep practical experience working with distributed control systems, orchestration tools, or fleet automation.
A proven track record operating safety-critical or physically-actuating systems with designed-for worst-case scenarios.
Working knowledge of data-center power systems such as utility interconnection, switchgear, uninterrupted power supplies, battery energy storage systems, rack distribution, and power telemetry.
Familiarity with energy markets or grid programs including demand response, ISO or RTO market signals, or demonstrated speed in learning them.
Strong judgment in build-versus-buy decisions and comfort deciding with incomplete data.
A demonstrated history of hiring senior engineers and operating resilient systems that cannot fail silently.

Nice to Have

Experience with graphics processing unit cluster operations or artificial intelligence cloud infrastructure.
Prior professional background in the energy sector involving power generation, storage, utility software, or grid-scale controls.
Background in graphics processing unit power or performance modeling, dynamic voltage and frequency scaling, or turning research prototypes into production systems.
Experience dealing with checkpointing and preemption for large training jobs or power-aware scheduling.

Skills and Tools

Kubernetes
Slurm
Distributed control planes
Fleet automation
Data-center power systems
Telemetry and grid signaling

Salary and Benefits

The annual compensation for this role ranges from $285,000 to $335,000, accompanied by a bonus and Restricted Stock Units. Crusoe provides comprehensive benefits including paid time off, paid holidays, leave of absence programs, comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance, employer contributions to health savings accounts, and paid parental leave. Additional offerings include life insurance, short-term and long-term disability, professional development, tuition reimbursement, mental health support, commuter benefits, a cell phone stipend, a 401(k) retirement plan with a company match up to four percent, volunteer time off, global travel insurance, daily meal allowances, and location-specific perks.

About the Company

Crusoe operates as a vertically integrated artificial intelligence infrastructure company that owns and operates layers of the technology stack from energy generation to cloud services. The company focuses on solving power bottlenecks for energy-intensive artificial intelligence workloads through an energy-first approach.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should visit the official Crusoe careers page to submit an application for this opportunity.

Skills and tech stack

Kubernetes

Questions candidates ask

What is the location of this job?

This role is based on-site in San Francisco, California.

What is the salary range for the Director of Engineering, Flex Compute?

The salary range is between $285,000 and $335,000 per year, plus bonuses and Restricted Stock Units.

How many years of experience are required?

Candidates must have 12 or more years of software engineering experience, including 5 or more years leading engineering teams.

What technical skills are highlighted for this role?

Key technical tools and skills include Kubernetes, Slurm, distributed control planes, fleet automation, and data-center power systems.

Is remote work permitted?

No, this is an on-site position located in San Francisco, CA.

Ready to apply?

The application is on the official Crusoe careers page.

Apply on company site