Staff Software Engineer - Kernel and Virtualization

Company: Crusoe Energy Systems LLC
Location: San Francisco
Posted on: May 19, 2025

Job Description:

Crusoe is building the World's Favorite AI-first Cloud infrastructure company. We're pioneering vertically integrated, purpose-built AI infrastructure solutions trusted by Fortune 500 companies to power their most advanced AI applications. Crusoe is redefining AI cloud infrastructure, with a mission to align the future of computing with the future of the climate. Our AI platform is recognized as the "gold standard" for reliability and performance. Our data centers are optimized for AI workloads and are powered by clean, renewable energy.Be part of the AI revolution with sustainable technology at Crusoe. Here, you'll drive meaningful innovation, make a tangible impact, and join a team that's setting the pace for responsible, transformative cloud infrastructure.Staff Software Engineer - Virtualization & Linux Kernel SpecialistCrusoe is building the World's Favorite AI-first Cloud infrastructure company. We're pioneering vertically integrated, purpose-built AI infrastructure solutions trusted by Fortune 500 companies to power their most advanced AI applications. Crusoe is redefining AI cloud infrastructure, with a mission to align the future of computing with the future of the climate. Our AI platform is recognized as the "gold standard" for reliability and performance. Our data centers are optimized for AI workloads and are powered by clean, renewable energy.Be part of the AI revolution with sustainable technology at Crusoe. Here, you'll drive meaningful innovation, make a tangible impact, and join a team that's setting the pace for responsible, transformative cloud infrastructure.About the Role:Crusoe is seeking a senior technical leader with deep expertise in both virtualization infrastructure and Linux kernel development to help build and scale our cloud platform optimized for AI and HPC workloads. This role will oversee the end-to-end design and implementation of high-performance virtualization layers, while also driving the development of kernel-level software that interfaces closely with hardware accelerators and hypervisors.You will lead a cross-functional team focused on building robust, scalable, and efficient compute infrastructure - combining deep systems-level engineering with cloud-native scalability. Your leadership will directly shape the performance, reliability, and functionality of Crusoe's cloud compute offerings.What You'll Be Working On:

• Virtualization Architecture & Implementation:
  • Design and implement advanced virtualization technologies tailored for GPU-accelerated AI and HPC workloads.
  • Make architectural decisions on hypervisors, device emulation, and hardware-software integration (e.g., GPUs, TPUs, networking).
    Optimize virtualization stacks for performance, scalability, and low latency across cloud-native and bare-metal configurations.
    
  • Linux Kernel & Driver Development:
    • Develop and maintain Linux kernel modules, including device drivers, to support new hardware and ensure reliable kernel performance.
    • Optimize kernel-level performance (memory management, scheduling, I/O) for high-throughput and low-latency workloads.
    • Focus on integration between kernel, hypervisors, and hardware accelerators to support advanced compute use cases.
      
    • Debugging & Performance Analysis:
      • Perform deep-dive debugging and root-cause analysis of issues at the OS, hypervisor, and hardware level.
        Collaborate closely with hardware engineers to understand IP block functionality and ensure seamless software integration.
        Drive system performance improvements through kernel and virtualization optimizations.
        
      • Team Leadership & Collaboration:
        • Lead, mentor, and grow a high-performing team of engineers across kernel, systems, and virtualization domains.
          Collaborate with product, infrastructure, hardware, and AI/ML teams to align technical direction with business goals.
          Contribute to a culture of engineering excellence through technical mentorship, code/design reviews, and cross-functional communication.
          What You'll Bring to the Team:
          • 10+ years of experience in systems software engineering, with a focus on both virtualization and kernel-level development.
            3+ years in a technical leadership role managing infrastructure or low-level systems teams.
          • Deep expertise with virtualization technologies (e.g., KVM, Xen, VMware) and hypervisor development.
          • Strong knowledge of Linux kernel internals, including memory management, I/O, scheduling, and interrupt handling.
          • Experience writing performant, reliable device drivers in C, C++, Go, or Rust.
          • Familiarity with accelerators (GPUs, TPUs) and related technologies like CUDA or ROCm.
          • Experience with high-performance networking (e.g., InfiniBand, RoCE) and tuning virtualization stacks for HPC workloads.
          • Proven ability to lead complex projects from concept to production while mentoring others along the way.
          • Excellent communication skills and ability to drive alignment across diverse engineering teamsBenefits:
            • Industry competitive pay
            • Restricted Stock Units in a fast growing, well-funded technology company
            • Health insurance package options that include HDHP and PPO, vision, and dental for you and your dependents
            • Employer contributions to HSA accounts
            • Paid Parental Leave
            • Paid life insurance, short-term and long-term disability
            • Teladoc
            • 401(k) with a 100% match up to 4% of salary
            • Generous paid time off and holiday schedule
            • Cell phone reimbursement
            • Tuition reimbursement
            • Subscription to the Calm app
            • MetLife Legal
            • Company paid Commuter FSA benefit of $200 per monthCompensation RangeCompensation will be paid in the range of $250,000 - $320,000. Restricted Stock Units are included in all offers. Compensation to be determined by the applicants knowledge, education, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.Crusoe is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, citizenship, marital status, sex/gender, sexual preference/ orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, national origin, or any other status protected by law or regulation.
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Keywords: Crusoe Energy Systems LLC, Cupertino , Staff Software Engineer - Kernel and Virtualization, IT / Software / Systems , San Francisco, California