LambdaSenior HPC Systems Architect
Lambda is hiring a Senior HPC Systems Architect . It pays $255k-$340k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on Lambda.
Level's read on this job
- Level rates this role Builds AI ●●●●: the job is building AI systems.
- The posting allows some remote work.
- Tools and skills the posting cites include Infiniband, Ethernet and Liquid Cooling.
- Level classifies it as a senior role.
- Level lists 96 other open roles at Lambda.
AI in this role
Design and architect large-scale HPC infrastructure and GPU clusters optimized for high-performance workloads and AI applications.
Lambda, The Superintelligence Cloud, is a leader in AI cloud infrastructure serving tens of thousands of customers. Our customers range from AI researchers to enterprises and hyperscalers. Lambda's mission is to make compute as ubiquitous as electricity and give everyone the power of superintelligence. One person, one GPU.
If you'd like to build the world's best AI cloud, join us.
*Note: This position requires presence in our San Francisco or San Jose office location 4 days per week; Lambda’s designated work from home day is currently Tuesday.
Architecture leads the design, development, and execution of next-generation GPU clusters. Our team gets first access to the latest technologies and is responsible for translating emerging platform capabilities into scalable, production-ready infrastructure. Our scope spans from rack and pod level system arrangement that maximizes the data center power footprint, to right-sizing compute fabrics that meet the most demanding customer workloads.
We work at the intersection of GPU systems, high-performance networking, power and cooling, data center design, and customer-scale AI infrastructure.
We're looking for a Senior HPC Systems Architect with extensive experience designing, developing, and testing large-scale high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructures. This strategic role focuses on crafting cutting-edge liquid-cooled HPC solutions.
What You'll Do
Design and architect advanced HPC systems optimized for large-scale computational workloads and AI applications.
Collaborate with internal teams and stakeholders to define system requirements and performance goals.
Develop comprehensive testing frameworks to rigorously assess system performance, scalability, and reliability.
Evaluate emerging technologies and architectural approaches to continuously enhance infrastructure capabilities.
Create detailed architectural plans, documentation, and blueprints to guide implementation teams.
Provide technical leadership and mentoring to engineering teams, fostering best practices in HPC architecture.
You
8+ years of experience designing and architecting large-scale HPC and distributed computing systems.
Expert-level knowledge of HPC hardware including GPU clusters, compute nodes, high-speed networking (InfiniBand, Ethernet), and distributed storage.
Hands-on experience with direct-to-chip liquid cooling systems.
Proven expertise in creating robust performance benchmarks, capacity planning, and system validation.
Exceptional skills in system architecture, design documentation, and technical specifications.
Ability to work collaboratively across teams, ensuring alignment of technical solutions with business objectives.
Self-motivated, strategic thinker with strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
Nice to Have
Prior experience with AI infrastructure design.
Familiarity with cloud computing environments and hybrid cloud HPC architectures.
Knowledge of automation and orchestration tools (Ansible, Terraform, Kubernetes).
Salary Range Information
The annual salary range for this position has been set based on market data and other factors. However, a salary higher or lower than this range may be appropriate for a candidate whose qualifications differ meaningfully from those listed in the job description.
About Lambda
Founded in 2012, with 500+ employees, and growing fast
Our investors notably include TWG Global, US Innovative Technology Fund (USIT), Andra Capital, SGW, Andrej Karpathy, ARK Invest, Fincadia Advisors, G Squared, In-Q-Tel (IQT), KHK & Partners, NVIDIA, Pegatron, Supermicro, Wistron, Wiwynn, Gradient Ventures, Mercato Partners, SVB, 1517, and Crescent Cove
We have research papers accepted at top machine learning and graphics conferences, including NeurIPS, ICCV, SIGGRAPH, and TOG
Our values are publicly available: https://lambda.ai/careers
We offer generous cash & equity compensation
Health, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents
Wellness and commuter stipends for select roles
401k Plan with 2% company match (USA employees)
Flexible paid time off plan that we all actually use
Equal Opportunity Employer
Lambda is an Equal Opportunity employer. Applicants are considered without regard to race, color, religion, creed, national origin, age, sex, gender, marital status, sexual orientation and identity, genetic information, veteran status, citizenship, or any other factors prohibited by local, state, or federal law.
How we rate this
Senior HPC Systems Architect at Lambda 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 hpc architecture 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?
- Tell me about a project where hardware benchmarking was part of your work. What did you do?
- Tell me about a project where capacity planning was part of your work. What did you do?
- Walk me through how you've used Infiniband in your day-to-day work.
Adapt your resume
- List these exact terms on your resume: Hpc Architecture, Distributed Systems, Hardware Benchmarking, Capacity Planning, and Infiniband. 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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