SambaNova SystemsRuntime Engineer - New Grad
SambaNova Systems is hiring a Runtime Engineer - New Grad in Austin and San Jose, United States. It pays $131k-$196k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on SambaNova Systems.
Level's read on this job
- On Level's scale, this role is Builds AI ●●●●: the job is building AI systems.
- Tools and skills the posting cites include C, Rust and Python.
- Level classifies it as a junior role.
- Level lists 71 other open roles at SambaNova Systems.
- The role was posted within the past week.
AI in this role
Develop low-level software, drivers, and networking tools for AI training and inference hardware as a new grad Runtime Engineer.
SambaNova is a leader in next-generation AI infrastructure, delivering a full-stack inference platform for customers worldwide. At the core of SambaNova's technology is the RDU (Reconfigurable Dataflow Unit) — a chip built on a dataflow architecture rather than the traditional GPU model. Its decode performance is especially strong for agentic workloads like multi-turn agents, code generation, and long-running applications. RDUs are packaged into SambaRack, rack-scale hardware that lets customers deploy state-of-the-art models with better performance, greater energy efficiency, and faster time to value.
About the Team
The Runtime team owns the lowest level of the SambaNova software stack, the layer that talks directly to the hardware. We build the user libraries, drivers, networking, and system tools that run ML training and inference across SambaStack and SambaCloud.
About the Role
As a new grad Runtime Engineer, you'll write production code in C/C++/Rust and Python across drivers, user space libraries, networking, and system tools. You'll help bring up drivers on next generation silicon, test and deploy runtime features on large multi-node systems, and track down performance bottlenecks with the hardware and compiler teams.
Responsibilities
- Develop and maintain kernel drivers for next generation SambaNova silicon
- Build user space libraries that make efficient use of hardware resources
- Find and fix networking bottlenecks within and across nodes
- Build tools for profiling, debugging, and job and hardware management
- Test and deploy runtime features on large multi-node systems
- Work with the hardware and compiler teams to diagnose and fix performance issues
Required Qualifications
- B.S. in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field
- Strong programming skills in C/C++/Rust and Python
- Experience with high speed networking such as RDMA, RoCE, or InfiniBand
- Experience with distributed communication libraries such as MPI, NCCL, or UCX
- Experience writing Linux kernel drivers or other system level software
- Experience with Linux and debugging tools such as GDB
Preferred Qualifications
- M.S. or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related field
- Familiarity with PCIe
- Experience with profiling or performance analysis tools
- Internship or research experience in systems software, networking, or performance engineering
- Open source project ownership or contributions
Base Salary Range:
Base Pay Range$131,200—$196,200 USDSubmission Guidelines
Please note that in order to be considered an applicant for any position at SambaNova Systems, you must submit an application form for each position for which you believe you are qualified.
EEO Policy
SambaNova Systems is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard basis of age (40 and over), color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, national origin/ancestry, race, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding), sexual orientation, and any other applicable status protected by federal, state, or local laws.
Benefits Summary for US-Based, Full-Time Employment Positions
SambaNova offers a competitive total rewards package, including the base salary, plus equity and benefits. We cover 95% premium coverage for employee medical insurance, and 77% premium coverage for dependents and offer a Health Savings Account (HSA) with employer contribution. We also offer Dental, Vision, Short/Long term Disability, Basic Life, Voluntary Life, and AD&D insurance plans in addition to Flexible Spending Account (FSA) options like Health Care, Limited Purpose, and Dependent Care. Our library of well-being benefits available to you and your dependents includes a full subscription to Headspace, Gympass+ membership with access to physical gyms, One Medical membership, counseling services with an Employee Assistance Program, and much more.
How we rate this
Runtime Engineer - New Grad at SambaNova Systems rates 85 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Builds AI (AI Level 4 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.
Builds AI. The job is building AI systems.
- ●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
- ●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
- ●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
- ●○○○ Little AI0 to 39
Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Read the description and count the AI tools, models and workflows it names.
Prepare for this job
Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.
Skills and AI tools this role asks for
Questions you could be asked
- Tell me about a project where kernel drivers was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where systems software was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where networking was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where performance engineering was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where distributed systems was part of your work. What did you do?
Adapt your resume
- List these exact terms on your resume: Kernel Drivers, Systems Software, Networking, Performance Engineering, and Distributed Systems. An applicant tracking system matches the wording, not the idea.
- Attach one line of real, concrete experience to at least one of them. A tool named with nothing behind it rarely survives a human read.
- Lead with what you built, trained or shipped. This role is judged on the AI system itself, not the tools around it.
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