Senior Software Engineer - AI Compiler & Runtime Infrastructure

Senior Software Engineer – AI Compiler & Runtime Infrastructure

Irvine, CA or San Jose, CA — On-site Hybrid preferred

Xcelerium is a venture-backed fabless semiconductor company building the next generation of autonomous compute silicon optimized for real-time physical AI. We develop high-performance processors and software that enable deterministic, low-latency execution for converged sensing, communications, and AI tasks — addressing limitations of conventional CPU, GPU, and FPGA architectures.

Our technology powers advanced radar, wireless communications, sensor processing, and machine-learning workloads across applications including aerospace & defense, robotics, autonomous systems, and next-generation wireless infrastructure. At Xcelerium, software innovation — from compilers and runtimes to schedulers and microkernel development — is essential to unlocking the performance and efficiency of our hardware.

We are looking for a hands-on, experienced engineer to lead development of our AI compiler stack and runtime infrastructure
. You will help architect, implement, and optimize compiler passes, schedulers, and runtime systems that translate high-level programs into high-performance code for our custom hardware.

This role is a perfect fit for engineers who thrive on systems-level challenges — including compiler internals, runtime design, optimization, and tooling — and want to make a direct impact on how tomorrow’s real-time systems are built.

• Design and implement core compiler components (IR transformations, optimization passes, backend codegen).
• Build and optimize runtime systems, including task schedulers, resource managers, and execution engines.
• Collaborate closely with hardware architects to define ABI, scheduling strategies, and performance targets.
• Diagnose performance issues using profiling and benchmarking tools; propose and implement improvements.
• Take ownership of features end-to-end — from design through validation and documentation.

• Influence long-term compiler and runtime architecture.
• Lead design reviews and technical discussions.
• Mentor and guide other engineers on best practices in systems programming and compiler design.

• 7+ years of software engineering experience with significant work in compilers and/or runtime systems.
• Expert in C/C++ (Python for tooling and automation a plus).
• Deep understanding of compiler internals (IR, passes, optimizations, codegen).
• Strong runtime and scheduler design experience.
• Proven ability to ship production-quality systems software with measurable impact.

• Hands-on experience with MLIR, IREE, LLVM, or similar compiler frameworks.
• Experience designing schedulers and execution systems for accelerators.
• Familiarity with profiling tools and performance analysis.
• OSS contributions or publications in relevant areas.

Salary Range: $190,000–$260,000 + equity (DOE)

We believe in transparency and aligning compensation with market expectations for senior engineers in specialized systems roles.

We offer generous stock option grants — giving you real ownership and upside in the company’s success.

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Flexible hybrid work model
• 401(k) plan
  
  Paid time off (PTO)
• Professional development support