Principal Architect, Simulation Platform

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in California, +1 more state.

📋 Description

• Take ownership of the complete architecture for the Karman Digital Environment (KDE) simulation platform, facilitating the development, testing, and validation of Karman prior to production deployment.

• Design systems that encompass sub-millisecond control paths, integrating system-level orchestration with coherent time management and deterministic functionality.

• Plan and enhance components such as time synchronization, signal routing, data-flow management, deterministic replay, scenario execution, platform APIs, and data contracts.

• Establish and uphold performance benchmarks for latency, jitter, throughput, and fidelity, while leading comprehensive full-stack optimization efforts.

• Act as the technical authority on simulation and validation methodologies.

• Collaborate with algorithm, QA, product, hardware, firmware, and GTM teams.

• Build and guide an engineering team focused on real-time systems, simulation infrastructure, power systems modeling, and GPU calibration.

• Maintain a hands-on approach in architectural and critical technical decision-making.

• Represent KDE in a cross-functional council and mediate platform priorities.

• Travel occasionally to the company's headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor's or advanced degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, Physics, or a related discipline.

• Over 10 years of experience in systems architecture, simulation platforms, real-time or hardware-in-the-loop systems, embedded systems, or high-performance distributed platforms.

• Proven experience as a hands-on player-coach, leading small, high-performing engineering teams.

• Demonstrated success in designing and delivering simulation platforms or large-scale test systems recognized as production hardware by engineering teams.

• Familiarity with production-scale data ingestion, telemetry, and playback methodologies.

• Capability to design platform APIs and data contracts utilized by multiple teams.

• Extensive knowledge in scheduling, concurrency, memory access patterns, latency budgets, jitter measurement, and sub-millisecond determinism.

• Solid understanding of AC power distribution, control-loop dynamics, and electrical protection systems, or equivalent expertise in a related field.

• Experience leading or contributing to innovative modeling challenges within the platform’s domain.

• Strong communication skills to effectively engage with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• Willingness to travel up to 25% of the time.

• Preferred experience with GPU-based systems or accelerators.

• Preferred experience in data center power infrastructure or hyperscaler energy-aware computing.

• Familiarity with AI inference serving systems such as vLLM, TensorRT-LLM, or Triton is preferred.

• Must be authorized to work in the United States; visa sponsorship requirements will be addressed during the application process.

🏝️ Benefits

• Stock options.

• Flexible paid time off.

• Health, dental, and vision benefits.

• Employer-match 401k.

• Flexible work environment.

• Mentorship and growth opportunities.

• Diverse and inclusive workplace.

• Competitive compensation.