Staff Hardware Systems Engineer
Groq
Software Engineering, Other Engineering
San Jose, CA, USA
USD 159k-270k / year + Equity
Posted on Sep 17, 2025
Staff Hardware Systems Engineer
San Jose, CA
System Design
Hybrid
Full-time
About Groq
Groq delivers fast, efficient AI inference. Our LPU-based system powers GroqCloud™, giving businesses and developers the speed and scale they need. From our Bay Area roots to our growing global presence, we are on a mission to make high performance AI compute more accessible and affordable. When real-time AI is within reach, anything is possible. Build fast.
Staff Systems Engineer
Mission:
The Staff Systems Engineer will play a critical role in shaping the future of Groq's hardware platforms, enabling state-of-the-art AI/ML workloads, and driving the development of the most advanced AI accelerator on the market. This role requires a unique blend of technical expertise, leadership skills, and collaboration abilities. The Staff Systems Engineer will guide design and architecture decisions, ensuring that they align with organizational objectives. The role will also involve collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless delivery of products, features, and enhancements.
Responsibilities & opportunities in this role:
- Technical Leadership: Lead hardware‑systems design projects – guide design and architecture decisions that align with Groq’s strategic objectives.
- Cross‑Functional Collaboration: Partner with Silicon Engineering, Data Center Operations, Cloud Infrastructure, Product Management, and Manufacturing Operations to ensure seamless delivery of products, features, and enhancements.
- Project Management: Track defects/bugs throughout the project lifecycle and drive timely issue resolution.
- Interconnect Solution Definition: Electro‑optical: backplanes, bulk‑power distribution, optical links, internal & external system interconnects. Thermo‑mechanical: macro‑system cooling solutions, integration, and interconnect. Coordinate design teams to achieve common, leveraged results.
- Full‑Stack System Expertise: End‑to‑end troubleshooting and issue resolution. Deep understanding of design expectations and validation methods—from proof‑of‑concept to final product.
- Team Enablement: Help teams isolate problems to the subsystem level and guide the entire group toward resolution when needed.
- Technical Proficiency:
- Electrical & power issues
- Mechanical & thermal issues
- Low‑level firmware & application‑layer software
- Operating systems, performance testing, and tuning for optimization
Ideal candidates have/are:
- 8+ years of experience leading platform teams to delivery success
- A Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field
- Proficient in electrical and power issues, mechanical and thermal issues, low-level firmware, application layer software, operating systems, performance testing, and tuning for optimizations.
- Problem-Solving & Debugging – Strong problem-solving and debugging skills, with the ability to troubleshoot and resolve complex hardware and firmware issues.
Attributes of a Groqster:
- Humility - Egos are checked at the door
- Collaborative & Team Savvy - We make up the smartest person in the room, together
- Growth & Giver Mindset - Learn it all versus know it all, we share knowledge generously
- Curious & Innovative - Take a creative approach to projects, problems, and design
- Passion, Grit, & Boldness - no limit thinking, fueling informed risk taking
Compensation: At Groq, a competitive base salary is part of our comprehensive compensation package, which includes equity and benefits. For this role, the base salary range is $159,000 to $270,000, determined by your location, skills, qualifications, experience and internal benchmarks. This range is specific to roles in the United States, compensation for candidates outside the USA will be dependent on the local market.
Groq is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
Groq complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any protected characteristic.
Groq is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with physical or mental disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete an application or to participate in the hiring process, please contact us at talent@groq.com. This contact is for accommodation requests only, which will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
All offers of employment are contingent upon verification of the applicant’s identity and employment authorization in accordance with federal law.
Groq encourages people with criminal record histories to apply for employment, and values diverse experiences, including prior contact with the criminal legal system. To that end, Groq welcomes such applicants in accordance with the California Fair Chance Act, Los Angeles City Fair Chance Act Ordinance, Los Angeles County Fair Chance Act Ordinance, and San Francisco Fair Chance Act Ordinance. Philadelphia applicants can review information pertaining to Philadelphia’s Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Ordinance here: https://www.phila.gov/documents/fair-chance-hiring-law-poster.
Req ID: 534