Kernel Engineer - New Grad - Sunnyvale, CA, United States
Originally posted 23 July 2026 by the employer.
About the role
As a Kernel Engineer at Cerebras, you will develop high-performance software at the intersection of hardware and software for artificial intelligence and high-performance computing workloads. This role focuses on implementing, optimizing, and validating machine learning and linear algebra operations for the Cerebras Wafer-Scale Engine.
What you'll do
- Help design and implement machine learning and linear algebra kernels for the Cerebras Wafer-Scale Engine.
- Develop and debug high-performance kernel routines using low-level programming techniques and the Cerebras Software Language.
- Apply parallel programming algorithms to map computational workloads efficiently onto the Cerebras architecture.
- Use mathematical analysis, performance data, and profiling tools to evaluate kernel behavior and inform design decisions.
- Develop unit tests and system-level validation methodologies to verify functionality and performance of kernel libraries.
- Build an understanding of the Cerebras architecture, instruction set, memory system, and communication model.
What you'll need
- Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mathematics, or a related field.
- Strong programming fundamentals in C++ and familiarity with Python.
- Understanding of foundational computer architecture concepts such as processors, memory hierarchies, instruction execution, or data movement.
- Knowledge of data structures, algorithms, and software development fundamentals.
- Experience debugging software through coursework, internships, research, co-op placements, or technical projects.
Nice to have
- Research, internships, or projects involving kernel development, compilers, computer architecture, HPC, or systems programming.
- Familiarity with parallel algorithms, multithreaded programming, or distributed memory systems.
- Exposure to programming accelerators such as GPUs, FPGAs, or other specialized processors.
- Experience with low-level programming, assembly language, CUDA, OpenCL, or a domain-specific language.
- Familiarity with machine learning concepts, neural networks, or frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow.
- Exposure to numerical computing, linear algebra, or HPC kernels.
- Experience using profiling, benchmarking, or performance analysis tools.
- Familiarity with library or API development practices.
This role has been open 84 days — well above the 60-day median for Systems Software Engineering roles.
Systems Software Engineering · Systems Software
|
Open roles in category
680
|
Median days open
60 d
|
Median salary
$213k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, and who else is hiring
| Metric | Cerebras | All employers we track in this specialty (680 roles · 71 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 13 | 680 |
| Open roles in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family | 73 | 6118 · 145 employers |
| Median days open | 84 d | 60 d (+24 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $213k |
Who's hiring in this category
- Qualcomm · 169 open roles · median 80 d
- NVIDIA · 129 open roles · median 45 d
- AMD · 63 open roles · median 53 d
- Mobileye · 26 open roles · median 78 d
- Broadcom · 22 open roles · median 55 d
- Arm Holdings · 20 open roles · median 116 d
How we counted: 680 open Systems Software Engineering (Systems Software) roles from 71 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 19 Oct 2026. Specialty figures count only roles carrying this exact specialty label, so an employer's related work in neighbouring specialties is not included there — it is counted in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family row. Figures refresh nightly.