Lead Software Engineer

About Clockwork Systems Clockwork.io – Software Driven Fabrics to increase GPU cluster utilization Clockwork Systems was founded by Stanford researchers and veteran systems engineers who share a vision for redefining the foundations of distributed computing. As AI workloads grow increasingly complex, traditional infrastructure struggles to meet the demands of performance, reliability, and precise coordination. Clockwork is pioneering a software-driven approach to AI fabrics by delivering cross-stack observability to catch and quickly resolve problems, workload fault tolerance to keep jobs running through failures, and performance acceleration that dynamically routes and paces traffic to avoid congestion. To learn more, visit www.clockwork.io . About the Role We are looking for a Lead Software Engineer to drive the architecture, development, and delivery of critical platform and infrastructure systems at Clockwork. In this role, you will lead technical direction across complex initiatives spanning distributed systems, cloud infrastructure, networking, operating systems, databases, and full stack platforms . You’ll work closely with a highly technical team to design and scale production-grade systems that power modern AI and HPC environments. This is an opportunity for a hands-on technical leader who enjoys solving hard engineering problems, mentoring strong engineers, and building systems from the ground up in a fast-moving startup environment. What You’ll Do Lead the design, architecture, and implementation of core platform and infrastructure components. Build and scale large distributed systems running in production environments. Drive technical decisions across backend systems, cloud platforms, networking, and full stack applications. Collaborate cross-functionally with engineering, product, and leadership to define technical roadmaps and execution plans. Mentor engineers through design reviews, code reviews, debugging, and best practices. Improve system performance, reliability, observability, and scalability across the stack. Contribute hands-on code in key areas while setting a high technical bar for the team. Help establish strong engineering processes and a culture of ownership, quality, and execution. What We’re Looking For At least 7 years of industry experience in software engineering or systems development. A degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field. Fluency in one or more of the following languages: C, C++, Golang, Java, Python. Excellent debugging and problem-solving skills. A strong sense of ownership and the ability to lead in a fast-paced startup environment Strong expertise in data structures, algorithms, and software design. Experience designing, building, and scaling large distributed systems in production. Familiarity with service-oriented architectures and cloud technologies such as AWS, GCP, or Azure. Understanding of networking protocols; experience with NIC architecture and operation is a strong plus. Excellent communication skills, with the ability to collaborate across teams and explain technical concepts clearly. Experience in full stack development. Enjoy Challenging projects. A friendly and inclusive workplace culture. Competitive compensation. A great benefits package. Catered lunch. Compensation for this position will vary based on the skills and experience you bring, as well as internal equity considerations. For candidates hired at the posted level, the expected base salary range is $180,000 - $260,000. In addition to cash compensation, this role is eligible to participate in the company’s equity program , which may include stock options granted in accordance with the company’s equity plan and subject to approval and applicable vesting schedules. Clockwork Systems is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building world-class teams by welcoming bright, passionate individuals from all backgrounds. All qualified applicants will receive considera