Lead Software Engineer – Systems, Compilers & Embedded Platforms
Zürich (Hybrid) | Deep Tech | AI Hardware | Full-Stack Ownership
We are partnering with an innovative Zürich-based tech company who are seeking a motivated Lead Software Engineer to take ownership of their software direction and execution.
This is a role for someone who enjoys operating at the intersection of silicon, compilers, and real-world developer tooling — and who wants to lead both technically and organisationally.
You will be responsible for turning advanced hardware capabilities into a clean, usable, production-grade software environment.
The Opportunity
Youll shape and drive the software strategy behind a new compute platform — from runtime and drivers to compiler integration and SDK delivery.
You wont just contribute to features.
Youll define priorities, structure execution, and raise the technical bar across the team.
This role sits at the centre of hardware/software co-design, working directly with architecture teams while guiding engineers toward predictable, high-quality delivery.
Your Impact
Lead and structure development across low-level drivers, runtime components, and compiler paths
Define and prioritise workstreams spanning code generation, kernels, integration tooling, and SDK packaging
Collaborate closely with hardware teams to simplify interfaces and improve system-level performance
Translate customer and product requirements into a clear, executable software roadmap
Establish quality standards, review processes, and engineering ownership boundaries
Mentor and grow a small but highly technical software team
What Were Looking For
7+ years in low-level systems software or compiler engineering
Strong C++ and solid Python skills
Experience working at the hardware/software boundary
Practical knowledge of compiler internals (LLVM/MLIR passes, backend lowering, graph compilers, or similar)
Strong understanding of memory systems, concurrency, and performance optimisation
Experience planning and delivering complex technical projects with clear milestones
Confidence reading hardware specifications and defining clean abstractions
Strong Advantage If You Have
Embedded or MCU-focused experience
Accelerator or heterogeneous compute exposure
Experience packaging SDKs for external developers
Familiarity with edge AI workflows, quantisation, or performance profiling on constrained systems