2023-09-12T11:53:42-04:00 X, The Moonshot Factory
Software Engineer, Scientific Computing Infrastructure (Early Stage Project)
Software Engineering
Mountain View, CA

X is Alphabet’s moonshot factory. We are a diverse group of inventors and entrepreneurs who build and launch technologies that aim to improve the lives of millions, even billions, of people. Our goal: 10x impact on the world’s most intractable problems, not just 10% improvement. We approach projects that have the aspiration and riskiness of research with the speed and ambition of a startup.

About the Team:

We are developing and applying automated design capabilities for electromagnetic devices such as optical networking equipment, lenses, image sensors, and lidar systems. We are leveraging Google-scale compute, optimization, and machine learning to enable 10x gains in ultra-large-scale simulation and optimization schemes.  

About the Role:

X projects are a dynamic, frequently changing environment.  To be effective, moving forward confidently and productively amid ambiguity, nimbly adapting to changing priorities, and plotting new paths forward through various priority adjustments (and even cheerfully leaning into changes) will be necessary. Consistent, transparent, and thoughtful communication with multiple peers and stakeholders on the team in different functions will be needed for success in the role.

We’re looking for a Software Engineer with backend infrastructure development experience. The role involves building software for compute-intensive applications, batch oriented workloads and automating workflows. The infrastructure will be built and deployed in a mix of internal Google as well as standard cloud (GCP) environments. 

The ideal candidate will be an experienced SWE who is collaborative, independent, motivated, self-driven, and capable of identifying and executing on both tactical and strategic goals for the project.

Experience in scientific computing is highly preferred.

How you will make 10X impact:

  • Collaborate on creation and advancement of end-to-end software solutions. Your work will touch all layers (API design, production deployment, monitoring & troubleshooting, compute performance evaluation, scaling, and introducing hardware accelerators as needed) and will entail designing solutions that will need to adapt to changing use cases. The ability to build extensible and maintainable software is key.  You will also be expected to participate in the entire maintenance lifecycle
  • Educate the team on the challenges and trade-offs involved in developing and deploying reliable infrastructure and applications on cloud
  • Work effectively with cross-functional teams of engineers, scientists, and domain experts. Listen to their needs, propose, design and implement solutions

What you should have: 

  • BS/MS in CS, or equivalent practical experience
  • 5+ years of relevant experience
  • Experience developing and deploying scientific computing tools
  • A fast learner with strong coding skills and a commitment to code quality. Ability to code in Python is a must and C++ is preferred
  • Experience and comfort working in small-scale development environments at the early phases of commercialization, with shifting requirements and business needs
  • Hands-on cloud experience. What’s important is that you’ve built cloud services before

It would be great if you had one or more of these skills too:

  • Experience with launching end-user applications in the field of scientific computing
  • Experience with GPU and/or TPU computing
  • Experience with GCP deployments
  • Experience with Python-based machine learning frameworks (JAX, TensorFlow, PyTorch, etc)

The US base salary range for this full-time position is $185,000 - $293,000 + bonus + equity + benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your location during the hiring process.

Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include bonus, equity, or benefits.

At X, we don't just accept difference - we celebrate it, we support it, and we thrive on it for the benefit of our employees, our products and our community. We are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements.

If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please contact us at: x-accommodation-request@x.team.

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