Director, GPU Compilers

Samsung Electronics • San Jose, CA

1d • $221,700 - $364,800

About The Position

Samsung’s SARC and ACL are building an intellectual property center of excellence for high-performance computing devices. The Director of GPU Compilers manages engineers who develop compiler software for Samsung GPUs packaged in Samsung SoCs. The team supports a common compiler back end that translates intermediate representations into machine language. The Director ensures annual compiler updates address optimization needs, new hardware and front-end features requiring back-end support, and correctness improvements.

The role provides technical and people leadership, including research and prototyping to improve the compiler back end; implementation and optimization work; planning for next-generation hardware support; coordination with peer teams and senior leaders; and performance management, coaching, and mentorship. The role also oversees documenting and submitting team-generated intellectual property after major releases.

The System Software team belongs to the SARC/ACL GPU Software Development organization. It designs and develops graphics hardware and drivers for mobile graphics, collaborating with game engine providers and other teams. Work spans multiple stages of technology development and contributes to products. The position is exempt and not eligible for overtime under the FLSA. Base pay is $221,700–$364,800, depending on factors such as education, qualifications, experience, and work location. The role might be eligible for a long-term incentive plan and relocation.

Requirements

• 15 or more years of experience with a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a relevant technical field; or 13 or more years with a master’s degree; or 11 or more years with a Ph.D.
• 10 or more years of experience managing software engineers who produced system-level software, such as compilers or operating systems.
• In-depth understanding of compiler back-end technology.
• Experience building or enhancing at least two different compilation systems.
• Sufficient modern C++ and Python experience to read and understand code.
• Practical experience developing JIT compilers or compilers for shader languages.
• Knowledge of OpenGL/OpenGL-ES, OpenCL, and SPIR-V.

Nice To Haves

• Compiler development for mobile architectures is highly preferred.
• Knowledge of the Android ecosystem is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Manage a team of engineers delivering compiler software for Samsung GPUs.
• Ensure annual compiler updates address new optimizations, hardware features, front-end features requiring back-end support, and correctness improvements.
• Research advances in compilers, software engineering, graphics, and related disciplines, and translate them into back-end improvements through prototyping, open-source contributions, AI-assisted tools, and supervised engineering experiments.
• Implement register allocation, instruction scheduling, graphics-specific optimizations, SIMD-relevant control flow, and code-placement optimizations.
• Apply machine-independent optimizations, preferably on low-level intermediate representations.
• Optimize applications to reduce execution time, memory usage, or power usage.
• Lead annual planning for next-generation hardware support, including effort estimation and cross-functional negotiation with architecture and engineering leads.
• Present team objectives, key results, and periodic activity summaries to senior leadership.
• Coordinate and communicate with peer teams, architecture leads, and senior management to align priorities and share progress.
• Hold regular one-on-one and team meetings to review status, maintain focus on priorities, and report progress through the management chain.
• Document and submit team-generated intellectual property for protection following major releases.
• Conduct annual performance reviews and provide feedback to team members.
• Recognize strong performance and support engineers’ professional development through coaching and mentorship.

Benefits

• Medical insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Life insurance
• 401(k)
• Free onsite lunch
• Employee purchase program
• Tuition assistance after six months
• Paid time off
• Wellness incentives
• MBO bonus compensation for eligible regular full-time employees, based on company, division, and individual performance
• Possible participation in a long-term incentive plan
• Possible relocation assistance

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director