Senior HPC Operations Engineer

In 2012, Lambda started with a crew of AI engineers publishing research at top machine-learning conferences. We began as an AI company built by AI engineers. That hasn't changed. Today, we're on a mission to be the world's top AI computing platform. We equip engineers with the tools to deploy AI that is fast, secure, affordable, and built to scale. Whether they need powerhouse GPU hardware on-site or the flexibility of cloud-based solutions, we've got the horsepower to make it happen. Lambda’s AI Cloud has been adopted by the world’s leading companies and research institutions including Anyscale, Rakuten, The AI Institute, and multiple enterprises with over a trillion dollars of market capitalization. Our goal is to make computation as effortless and ubiquitous as electricity.

If you'd like to build the world's best deep learning cloud, join us. 

*Note: This position requires presence in our San Francisco office location 4 days per week; Lambda’s designated work from home day is currently Tuesday.

What You’ll Do 

• Remotely deploy and configure large-scale HPC clusters for AI workloads (up to many thousands of nodes)

• Remotely install and configure operating systems, firmware, software, and networking on HPC clusters both manually and using automation tools

• Troubleshoot and resolve HPC cluster issues working closely with physical deployment teams on-site

• Provide clear and detailed requirements back to other engineering teams on gaps and improvement areas, specifically in the areas of simplification, stability, and operational efficiency

• Contribute to the creation of and maintenance of Standard Operating Procedures

• Provide regular and well-communicated updates to project leads throughout each deployment

• Mentor and assist less experienced team members

• Stay up-to-date on the latest HPC/AI technologies and best practices 

You 

• Are a deeply experienced HPC engineer comfortable with logical provisioning of a cluster 

• Have a strong understanding of HPC/AI architecture, operating systems, firmware, software, and networking

• 10+ years of experience in deploying and configuring HPC clusters for AI workloads

• Have an innate attention to detail

• Have experience with Bright Cluster Manager or similar cluster management tools

• Are in expert in configuring and troubleshooting:

  • SFP+ fiber, Infiniband (IB), and 100 GbE network fabrics

  • Ethernet, switching, power infrastructure, GPU direct, RDMA, NCCL, Horovod environments

  • Linux based compute nodes, firmware updates, driver installation

  • SLURM, Kubernetes, or other job scheduling systems

• Work well under deadlines and structured project plans also knowing when and how to ask for changes to project timelines

• Have excellent problem solving and troubleshooting skills

• Have flexibility to travel to our North American data centers as on-site needs arise or as part of training exercises

• Are able to work independently and as part of a team

• Are comfortable leading and mentoring junior HPC engineers on cluster deployments

Nice to Have 

• Experience with machine learning and deep learning frameworks (PyTorch, Tensorflow) and benchmarking tools (DeepSpeed, MLPerf)

• Experience with containerization technologies ( Docker, Kubernetes)

• Experience working with the technologies that underpin our cloud business ( GPU acceleration, virtualization, and cloud computing)

• Keen situational awareness in customer situations, employing diplomacy and tact

• Bachelors degree in EE, CS, Physics, Mathematics, or equivalent work experience

Salary Range Information 

Based on market data and other factors, the annual salary range for this position is $171,000-$246,000. 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, ~350 employees (2024) and growing fast

• We offer generous cash & equity compensation

• Our investors include Andra Capital, SGW, Andrej Karpathy, ARK Invest, Fincadia Advisors, G Squared, In-Q-Tel (IQT), KHK & Partners, NVIDIA, Pegatron, Supermicro, Wistron, Wiwynn, US Innovative Technology, Gradient Ventures, Mercato Partners, SVB, 1517, Crescent Cove.

• We are experiencing extremely high demand for our systems, with quarter over quarter, year over year profitability

• Our research papers have been accepted into top machine learning and graphics conferences, including NeurIPS, ICCV, SIGGRAPH, and TOG

• Health, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents

• Commuter/Work from home stipends for select roles

• 401k Plan with 2% company match (USA employees)

• Flexible Paid Time Off Plan that we all actually use

A Final Note:

You do not need to match all of the listed expectations to apply for this position. We are committed to building a team with a variety of backgrounds, experiences, and skills.

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.