Systems Software Engineer
About The Position
Quadric is redefining edge AI with the industry's first General Purpose Neural Processing Unit (GPNPU), enabling developers to run both neural network inference and conventional C++ code on a single programmable architecture. Our technology powers intelligent edge devices across automotive, industrial, robotics, and embedded systems. Founded in 2016 and based in downtown Burlingame, California, Quadric is building the world's first supercomputer designed for the real-time needs of edge devices. Quadric aims to empower developers in every industry with superpowers to create tomorrow's technology, today. The company was co-founded by technologists from MIT and Carnegie Mellon, who were previously the technical co-founders of the Bitcoin computing company 21. Quadric has created an innovative General-Purpose Neural Processing Unit (GPNPU) architecture. As a member of our Systems Team, you will be responsible for the foundational software layers—drivers, debuggers, assemblers, and simulators—that bridge our high-level SDK with custom hardware. This is a high-impact role for an engineer with deep domain expertise who wants to build something monumental alongside a great team. You will own critical components of our low-level stack and collaborate closely with both hardware and software engineers to ensure our GPNPU remains a seamless, ultra-high-performance target for developers.
Requirements
- 5 years+ experience in building systems software: simulators, toolchains, debuggers, drivers, or performance critical C++ libraries
- Deep comfort with modern C++ (C++17/20) and systems-level programming paradigms.
- Advanced understanding of RAII, manual memory management, object lifetimes, ownership models, and memory access optimization.
- Ability to identify, design, and maintain clean abstraction layers that result in readable, maintainable, and scalable code.
- A proactive, adaptable attitude toward tackling the unique challenges of a brand-new processor architecture.
- Architectural Simulation: Building/extending cycle-accurate or functional simulators (e.g., Gem5, QEMU, or proprietary tools).
- Debugger Backends: Working on the "guts" of debuggers (breakpoints, memory inspection, GDB stubs/remote protocols).
- Developer APIs: Shipping C++ SDKs/libraries that balance "zero-cost" abstractions with intuitive UIs.
- Low-Level Toolchains: Writing or maintaining assemblers, linkers, or loaders with deep knowledge of binary formats (ELF) and memory layouts.
- Bare-Metal Constraints: Writing performance-critical code where every byte and cycle counts (drivers, embedded firmware).
Nice To Haves
- Understanding of CPU/NPU pipelines, registers, caches, and silicon-level constraints.
- Experience with CUDA, OpenCL, or Vulkan, alongside SIMD/SIMT architectures and host-to-device memory transfers.
- Experience with Linux driver development and CMake project configuration best practices.
- Familiarity with Rust in systems safety, as well as reasoning through multi-threaded logic and complex synchronization issues.
- Knowledge of integrating functional programming concepts effectively in non-garbage-collected environments.
Responsibilities
- Maintain and optimize our simulator used for architecture validation and software development.
- Drive the design of our low-level toolchain, ensuring efficient translation, binary execution (e.g., ELF formats), and loading of code.
- Develop, enhance, and refine debugging tools and backends that provide deep, low-level visibility into core GPNPU execution.
- Design, maintain, and document clean, well-defined abstraction layers and public C++ APIs that allow users and SDKs to interact with our hardware with minimal friction.
Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance from day one - Premiums covered at 99% for Employees
- Company-paid life Insurance
- Voluntary supplemental life insurance
- STD + LTD insurance
- Commuter support including parking or Caltrain reimbursement.
- FSA + HSA
- Equity with the business
- Paid Parental Leave
- 401(k) Retirement Plan
- Flexible PTO
- Winter holiday shutdown
- Catered lunch each day in our office
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
No Education Listed
