[Hiring] Director - Host Software @Cornelis Networks, Inc.

Role Description

We are seeking a Director of Host Software to lead the engineering team responsible for our complete host-side software ecosystem. This domain encompasses everything from performance-critical Linux kernel drivers and hardware abstraction layers to high-performance transport libraries and AI/HPC middleware integration.

In this role, you will foster a culture of technical excellence and empowerment, where engineers are encouraged to prototype novel solutions and drive end-to-end ownership of their features. You will lead the definition and delivery of host software for future product generations, ensuring our fabric delivers industry-leading performance for the world’s most demanding computational workloads. You will also champion the use of modern development tools, including AI-augmented workflows, to amplify the team's impact and velocity.

Key Responsibilities

• Technical Leadership & Team Management
  • Lead and grow a high-performance host software organization focused on systems-level programming and ecosystem integration.
  • Foster an environment of technical ownership where engineers are empowered to design, prototype, and productionize novel solutions.
  • Provide mentorship and career development for technical contributors, promoting a culture of continuous innovation and high-quality engineering.
  • Guide the team in leveraging modern development tools and AI-augmented workflows to accelerate development cycles and improve software reliability.
• Software Definition & Delivery
  • Host Software Strategy: Lead the technical definition and delivery of the host software stack for future product generations, aligning software capabilities with hardware features and customer requirements.
  • Kernel & Driver Development: Oversee the development of Linux kernel-mode drivers (e.g., netdev, RDMA, PCIe interfaces) with a focus on low-latency and high-throughput communication paths.
  • Transport & Protocol: Direct the implementation of user-mode libraries and protocol state machines (e.g., libfabric/OFI providers, verbs-style semantics) that define wire behavior and hardware interface efficiency.
  • Middleware & Ecosystem: Ensure top-tier performance for AI/HPC frameworks by leading the integration and optimization of collective communication libraries (NCCL/RCCL), MPI/SHMEM, and broad support for various hardware technologies and configurations, such as ARM processor support, cloud-native components like Kubernetes network operators, etc.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Partner closely with hardware, firmware, and switch software teams to define system-level interfaces and ensure end-to-end performance and stability.
  • Represent Cornelis Networks in relevant open-source communities (Linux kernel, OpenFabrics, Ultra Ethernet, etc.) to drive upstreaming and ecosystem alignment.
  • Collaborate with Engineering Operations to ensure robust CI/CD, automated testing, and release engineering practices are seamlessly integrated into the development process.
• Operational Excellence
  • Own the planning, prioritization, and execution of host software deliverables across multiple release cycles.
  • Drive root-cause analysis and resolution of complex, system-level issues across development and customer environments.
  • Lead technical investigations and establish internal best practices for performance tuning and debugging.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in high-performance systems programming in C/C++ on Linux.
• Prior experience in technical leadership or management roles (e.g., Team Lead, Manager, or similar) with a track record of guiding engineering efforts.
• Strong understanding of relevant technical domain areas, such as Linux kernel internals, networking transport protocols, HPC/AI communication middleware and applications, etc.
• Hands-on experience with high-performance networking concepts, RDMA, or communication middleware.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills for both technical and executive audiences.

Preferred Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in software engineering with significant time spent in management or director-level roles.
• Deep experience with libfabric/OFI, UCX, verbs-style concepts, or specific interconnect technologies (Omni-Path, InfiniBand, RoCE).
• Familiarity with HPC/AI communication libraries (MPI/SHMEM/NCCL/RCCL) and cluster-scale benchmarking and profiling.
• Experience utilizing AI-augmented development tools to increase team efficiency and code quality.
• Proven track record of meaningful contributions to major open-source systems projects (e.g., the Linux kernel).
• Master’s or PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related discipline highly preferred.

Location

This is a remote position for employees residing within the United States.

Benefits

• Competitive compensation package that includes equity, cash, and incentives.
• Health and retirement benefits.
• Access to a broad range of benefits, including medical, dental, and vision coverage.
• Disability and life insurance.
• Dependent care flexible spending account, accidental injury insurance, and pet insurance.
• Generous paid holidays, 401(k) with company match, and Open Time Off (OTO) for regular full-time exempt employees.
• Other paid time off benefits include sick time, bonding leave, and pregnancy disability leave.