Databricks · 11 hours ago
Senior GenAI Research Engineer - Optimization and Kernels
San Francisco, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level
$166K/yr - $225K/yrDatabricks is a leading data and AI company that empowers organizations to solve complex problems through their advanced platform. The Senior GenAI Research Engineer will focus on optimizing deep learning techniques and developing high-performance GPU kernels to enhance training workloads for large language models.
AnalyticsArtificial Intelligence (AI)Data StorageInformation TechnologyMachine Learning
Responsibilities
Drive performance improvements through advanced optimization techniques including kernel fusion, mixed precision, memory layout optimization, tiling strategies, and tensorization for training-specific patterns
Design, implement, and optimize high-performance GPU kernels for training workloads (e.g., attention mechanisms, custom layers, gradient computation, activation functions) targeting NVIDIA architectures
Design and implement distributed training frameworks for large language models, including parallelism strategies (data, tensor, pipeline, ZeRO-based) and optimized communication patterns for gradient synchronization and collective operations
Profile, debug, and optimize end-to-end training workflows to identify and resolve performance bottlenecks, applying memory optimization techniques like activation checkpointing, gradient sharding, and mixed precision training
Qualification
Required
BS/MS/PhD in Computer Science or related field with hands-on experience writing and tuning CUDA kernels for ML training applications, or hands-on experience in distributed training frameworks (PyTorch DDP, DeepSpeed, Megatron-LM, FSDP)
Strong understanding of NVIDIA GPU architecture (memory hierarchy, tensor cores, warp scheduling, SM occupancy) and proficiency with CUDA debugging/profiling tools (Nsight, NVProf)
Deep understanding of parallelism techniques and memory optimization strategies for large-scale model training, with proven ability to debug and optimize distributed workloads
Strong software engineering skills in Python and PyTorch, with experience supporting production training workflows and knowledge of LLM training dynamics including hyperparameter tuning and optimization strategies
Benefits
Annual performance bonus
Equity
Company
Databricks
Databricks is a data and AI platform that unifies data engineering, analytics, and machine learning on a lakehouse architecture.
Founded in 2013
5001-10000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Databricks has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (385)
2024 (319)
2023 (227)
2022 (222)
2021 (166)
2020 (64)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$25.81BKey Investors
Counterpoint GlobalFranklin TempletonAndreessen Horowitz
2025-12-16Series Unknown· $4B
2025-09-08Series Unknown· $1B
2025-01-13Debt Financing· $5.25B
Leadership Team
Ali Ghodsi
CEO and Co-founder
David Conte
Chief Financial Officer
Recent News
2025-12-29
globalventuring.com
2025-12-27
2025-12-26
Company data provided by crunchbase