High Performance Computing Software Engineer - Supercomputing

Institute of Foundation Models

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Abu Dhabi on site Until 8/23/2026 First posted March 18, 2026 Last posted March 18, 2026
Job description
About the Institute of Foundation Models
 
We are a dedicated research lab for building, understanding, using, and risk-managing foundation models. Our mandate is to advance research, nurture the next generation of AI builders, and drive transformative contributions to a knowledge-driven economy.
 
As part of our team, you’ll have the opportunity to work on the core of cutting-edge foundation model training, alongside world-class researchers, data scientists, and engineers, tackling the most fundamental and impactful challenges in AI development. You will participate in the development of groundbreaking AI solutions that have the potential to reshape entire industries. Strategic and innovative problem-solving skills will be instrumental in establishing MBZUAI as a global hub for high-performance computing in deep learning, driving impactful discoveries that inspire the next generation of AI pioneers.

The Role

IFM is building the foundational compute infrastructure that will power tomorrow’s breakthroughs in AI and computational science. We’re looking for a High Performance Computing Software Engineer to help us design, develop, and operate the software systems that run our large-scale AI workloads.

In this role, you’ll work at the intersection of high-performance computing and machine learning. You’ll be part of a team responsible for crafting the software stack that enables training of cutting-edge ML models—spanning 1000+ GPUs—and ensuring our infrastructure is robust, performant, and developer-friendly.

Job Responsibilities

  • Design and implement high-performance, distributed software solutions for large-scale AI/ML training.
  • Optimize low-level system components including Linux kernel, GPU/accelerator kernels, and interconnects.
  • Develop and tune communication libraries such as NCCL, MPI, UCX, RCCL, and RDMA-based systems.
  • Partner with ML researchers and engineers to support frameworks like PyTorch, MegatronLM, and DeepSpeed in large-scale production environments.
  • Contribute to our scheduling, orchestration, and job management systems, including Slurm and Kubernetes.
  • Debug and resolve complex issues across the stack—from kernel to container to model.
  • Work closely with hardware vendors, upstream open-source communities, and internal teams to drive performance and reliability improvements.

Skills & Experience

  • Proven experience developing and optimizing software for large-scale ML workloads (1000+ GPUs preferred).
  • Deep understanding of Linux kernel internals and accelerator (GPU) kernel development.
  • Proficiency with distributed communication libraries (e.g., NCCL, RCCL, MPI, UCX, SHARP, Libfabric).
  • Experience with ML frameworks like PyTorch, TensorFlow, JAX, or MegatronLM.
  • Strong knowledge of HPC job scheduling and orchestration tools (e.g., Slurm, Kubernetes, Pyxis).
  • Excellent debugging and systems performance tuning skills.
  • A collaborative mindset with a focus on shared success and technical excellence.
About this role

Summary

Design, develop, and optimize software for large-scale AI/ML workloads across 1000+ GPUs.

Job title

High Performance Computing Software Engineer - Supercomputing

Experience level

proven experience

Industry

research in artificial intelligence and high-performance computing

Location requirements

Abu Dhabi, remote work not specified

Salary

Not specified

Management role

No

Skills & keywords

Required skills

software developmentLinux kernel internalsGPU kernel developmentNCCLMPIPyTorchKubernetesdebugging

Preferred skills

MegatronLMDeepSpeedSlurmRCCLUCXRDMA

Specializations

high-performance computingdistributed systemsGPULinux kernelML frameworks
Locations

Structured locations inferred from the posting.

Abu Dhabi - United Arab Emirates

On-site City