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Principal Systems Software Engineer

CrusoeSan Francisco, CA - USCloud Engineering
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Salary
$260K - $340K USD
Job type
Full-time
Posted
5 Aug 2026
Status
Open · checked 7d ago

About this role

Role Overview

The Principal Systems Software Engineer at Crusoe in San Francisco is a visionary technical leadership position focused on architecting next-generation AI infrastructure and cloud systems. This full-time role suits an industry-recognized expert with extensive hyperscale experience who is ready to design high-performance computing fabrics for generative AI workloads.

Key Responsibilities

Architect systems delivering raw GPU throughput via zero-latency InfiniBand and RDMA fabrics for massive-scale training.
Design thin virtualization layers using KVM or custom micro-VMs to provide enterprise-grade isolation.
Build high-performance container substrates utilizing Kubernetes or Slurm for heterogeneous GPU nodes.
Lead architectural design for the internal cloud fabric, driving technical roadmaps for SR-IOV, RDMA, and virtualized GPU scheduling.
Lead R&D workstreams to prototype and productionize novel memory, networking, and compute management methods.
Draft white papers and RFCs defining the future compute and networking stack.
Resolve complex race conditions in the I/O path and optimize kernel-level memory pinning for GPU clusters.
Represent the company in open-source communities and industry forums.

Requirements

12+ years of experience designing and shipping core infrastructure at a major hyperscaler or specialized HPC cloud.
Authoritative knowledge of the Linux kernel, virtualization internals including KVM, QEMU, and Firecracker, and high-performance networking like RoCE v2 and InfiniBand.
Proven ability to design software maximizing performance for NVIDIA or AMD GPUs and high-speed NICs.
Experience leading cross-functional teams through high-ambiguity projects to deliver production-ready systems.
A portfolio of significant field contributions such as patents, major open-source contributions, or published research.
Ability to communicate technical nuances to engineers and business value to stakeholders.
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related analytical field, or equivalent professional experience.

Nice to Have

Possession of patents related to network virtualization, GPU scheduling, or distributed file systems.
Maintainer status or significant contributions to the Linux Kernel, Kubernetes, or specialized HPC projects.
Direct experience optimizing infrastructure for Large Language Model training and inference at scale.
Peer-reviewed publications at top systems venues, IETF RFCs, or industry white papers on distributed systems.

Skills and Tools

AWS
GCP
Azure
Kubernetes
LLM
Linux Kernel
InfiniBand
RDMA
KVM
Slurm

Salary and Benefits

Annual base salary range of $260,000 to $340,000 USD
Significant equity and bonus opportunities
Restricted Stock Units
Paid time off and paid holidays
Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance
Employer contributions to HSA accounts
Paid parental leave
Paid life insurance, short-term, and long-term disability
Professional development and tuition reimbursement
Mental health and wellness support
Commuter benefits for parking and transit
Cell phone stipend
401(k) retirement plan with company match up to 4% of salary
Volunteer time off

About the Company

Crusoe operates as a vertically integrated AI infrastructure company built from the ground up, owning and operating each layer of the stack from electrons to tokens. The organization focuses on solving power bottlenecks for AI compute with an energy-first approach that makes infrastructure better for the world and faster for innovators.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply directly on the official Crusoe careers page.

Skills and tech stack

AWSGCPAzureKubernetesLLM

Questions candidates ask

What is the salary range for the Principal Systems Software Engineer role?

The annual base salary ranges from $260,000 to $340,000 USD, along with significant equity and bonuses.

Where is this position located?

This position is located in San Francisco, California, and is a full-time, non-remote role.

How many years of experience are required?

Candidates must have 12+ years of experience designing and shipping core infrastructure at a major hyperscaler or specialized HPC cloud.

What educational background is needed?

A Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related analytical field is required, or equivalent professional experience.

What benefits are included with employment?

Benefits include comprehensive health insurance, a 401(k) match up to 4%, RSUs, paid time off, parental leave, wellness support, and tuition reimbursement.

Ready to apply?

The application is on the official Crusoe careers page.

Apply on company site