Senior AI Compute Engineer

Trener
San Jose, US
On-site

Who this role is best for

A natural match if you have experience deploying AI models on edge hardware and collaborating across cross-functional teams.

Best fit for

  • Candidates with experience deploying AI models on edge hardware and optimizing compute performance.
    — “Build, optimize, and test software pipelines for deploying neural networks, large language models (LLMs), vision transformers, VLMs, and VLAs directly to edge devices.”
  • Individuals who can bridge theoretical AI performance with practical real-world deployment.
    — “Bridging the gap between theoretical model performance and physical, real-world deployment.”
  • Candidates with a background in hardware-software interface design and embedded systems.
    — “A background in electronics engineering to effectively interface software with edge hardware.”

Things to consider

  • This role requires direct hands-on work with physical robots and edge hardware from day one.
    — “The opportunity to work hands-on with real robots and cutting-edge edge compute hardware from day one.”
  • Candidates must be able to manage complex cross-functional handoffs and coordinate with external partners.
    — “Drive alignment across cross-functional teams by proactively coordinating handoffs across roles.”

How to stand out

  • Highlight your experience with heterogeneous compute architectures in your resume and interviews.
    — “Design software systems spanning multiple services to run Physical AI processes across heterogeneous architectures.”
  • Demonstrate your ability to define and enforce code quality standards for edge deployment.
    — “Set code quality standards for the team and design test strategies for entire features.”
  • Showcase your expertise in optimizing AI workloads for real-time execution.
    — “Deploy and accelerate deterministic robotics algorithms, ensuring they meet strict real-time execution constraints.”
  • Emphasize your experience with tools like CUDA, TensorRT, ROCm, Quartus, or Vitis.
    — “Experience accelerating workloads on CPUs, GPUs (e.g., CUDA, TensorRT, ROCm) or FPGAs.”
  • Include specific examples of deploying models beyond standard desktop environments.
    — “Proven experience deploying complex algorithms onto embedded and edge devices.”
Pace · Fast PacedCollaboration · HighAutonomy · HighDecision Impact · Team

Derived from job-description analysis by Serendipath's career intelligence engine.

What success looks like

  • optimized AI models for edge devices
  • successful deployment of AI on physical robots
Typical background
experience in AI and roboticsbackground in software engineering

Skills & requirements

Required

AI DeploymentEmbedded SystemsReal-time Control AlgorithmsHardware-software Integration

Preferred

Robot KinematicsNumerical OptimizationConstraint-based Programming

Stack & domain

AI Compute Software StackDeploy Complex ModelsReal-time Control AlgorithmsSoftware PipelinesDeploy Neural NetworksAccelerate WorkloadsWrite Production-grade C++ And PythonRobot KinematicsNumerical OptimizationConstraint-based ProgrammingModern AI ModelsElectronics EngineeringCollaborationTeamworkProblem-solvingCommunicationLeadershipAIRoboticsAutomationHardwareSoftware

About the role

Original posting from Trener via Ashby

ABOUT US

Help make physical AI a reality.

At Trener Robotics, we are building the future of industrial automation through intelligent agents that understand natural language and control robotic stations. Our product, Acteris, bridges AI and robotics to deliver flexible, user-friendly automation.

We are a fast-growing, venture-backed company entering a phase of rapid scale. Our mission is to make AI-powered robotics accessible, and we are looking for a Senior AI Compute Engineer to own the deployment and execution of complex models across our physical edge hardware.

YOUR MISSION

Own the compute software stack that enables our robots to process heavy AI workloads and real-time control algorithms seamlessly at the edge. You will deeply understand the underlying hardware to build software that extracts maximum performance from it, without being responsible for hardware design itself. You will actively collaborate with and support the external partners designing our compute platforms. In this role, you will own outcomes for a critical product area, bringing structured judgment to complex problems as you bridge the gap between theoretical model performance and physical, real-world deployment.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Design software systems spanning multiple services to run Physical AI processes across heterogeneous architectures (CPU, GPU, NPU, FPGA).
  • Build, optimize, and test software pipelines for deploying neural networks, large language models (LLMs), vision transformers, VLMs, and VLAs directly to edge devices.
  • Deploy and accelerate deterministic robotics algorithms, ensuring they meet strict real-time execution constraints alongside machine learning workloads.
  • Set code quality standards for the team and design test strategies for entire features, ensuring that your definition of "done" means it works on the floor, not just in CI.
  • Drive alignment across cross-functional teams by proactively coordinating handoffs across roles (e.g., firmware, software, deployment) instead of waiting to be looped in.
  • Plan across projects with clarity and confidence, breaking large initiatives into independently shippable increments and flagging schedule risk early.
  • Push back on requirements that seem technically infeasible and run scoped spikes to de-risk hard problems rather than just flagging concerns.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

  • Proven experience working with state-of-the-art algorithms used in autonomous systems or advanced robotics.
  • Proven experience deploying complex algorithms onto embedded and edge devices (specifically beyond standard laptops and desktop PCs).
  • Deep understanding of hardware execution models (e.g., memory hierarchies, compute pipelines) to write software that maximally exploits the underlying compute and anticipates bottlenecks.
  • Experience accelerating workloads on CPUs, GPUs (e.g., CUDA, TensorRT, ROCm) or FPGAs.
  • Familiarity using Altera's Quartus and/or AMD's Vitis.
  • Strong proficiency in writing production-grade, highly optimized C++ and Python.

Particularly strong candidates will have:

  • An understanding of robot kinematics (forward and inverse), numerical optimization, and constraint-based programming.
  • Knowledge of the inner workings of modern AI models and their specific hardware requirements.
  • A background in electronics engineering to effectively interface software with edge hardware.

WHAT YOU WILL GET

  • Ownership of the AI compute software layer for a category-defining automation platform.
  • The opportunity to work hands-on with real robots and cutting-edge edge compute hardware from day one.
  • Collaboration with a high-caliber team across AI, robotics, systems engineering, and product.
  • A fast-moving, mission-driven environment where rigorous engineering and research-informed thinking are equally valued.

Source: Trener careers (Ashby)

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