Staff Software Engineer

Staff Software Engineer We are looking for an ambitious Staff Software Engineer to help us reverse-engineer the human brain. This role spans a broad spectrum of activities: Define and architect high-performance infrastructure for training large-scale models and running complex simulations. Design and optimize custom RL environments informed by neuroscience. Set the standard for clean, fast, production-grade code that boosts our research velocity. Turn research prototypes into scalable production systems. Tackle systemic technical bottlenecks, from low-level optimization to high-level strategy, to unblock the research team. Qualifications: High-Velocity Craftsmanship: You set the bar for clean, maintainable, and well-tested code at a startup pace. You know how to balance engineering rigor with the need to iterate quickly on research prototypes. System Architecture Intuition: You have proven success architecting complex systems from scratch. You understand the long-term trade-offs, and you can design infrastructure that survives the chaos of research. Extreme Adaptability: You might be an expert in distributed systems today, but you are ready to become a novice in neuroscience tomorrow. You have a track record of diving into complex domains, mastering them quickly, and guiding others through them. Mastery of Hard Problems: You have a track record of leading the resolution of difficult engineering challenges, whether it is massive scale distributed systems or kernel-level optimization. You do not shy away from what your peers consider hardcore. Location & Visa: This role is in-person in Emeryville, CA. Visa sponsorship may be available for qualified candidates. Astera Institute