# Software Engineer, ML Networking

**Company:** [Anthropic](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/anthropic)
**Location:** San Francisco, CA, New York, NY, Seattle, WA
**Role:** Backend Engineering
**Salary:** $280k – $850k/yr
**Experience:** 5+ years
**Skills:** network protocols, TCP/IP, xdp, ebpf, io_uring, epoll, dpdk, rdma, kernel bypass, rpc, C++, Rust, numa, pcie, smartnics
**Posted:** 2026-08-04

> Build and optimize low-level networking software connecting ML accelerators to high-speed distributed systems. The role requires 5+ years of systems or network programming experience, deep kernel and user-space networking expertise, and strong performance-debugging skills.

## Job Description

## Responsibilities
- Write and maintain systems software interfacing between ML accelerators and high-speed networks.
- Build network infrastructure and optimize network performance.
- Develop software involving network protocols, kernel-space and user-space networking, hardware interfaces, and distributed systems.
- Diagnose and resolve networking issues in distributed systems, particularly across OSI layers 2–4.
- Design higher-level abstractions such as collectives and RPC.
- Optimize software, drivers, operating systems, and network performance.
- Build systems for accelerator-initiated tensor movement over networks.
- Benchmark new networking environments.
- Implement collective algorithms to improve latency.
- Optimize congestion-control algorithms for large-scale synchronous workloads.
- Debug kernel-level network latency spikes.

## Requirements
- Expert proficiency with network protocols and networking concepts.
- Deep knowledge of kernel networking, including TCP/IP stack internals, XDP, eBPF, io_uring, and epoll.
- Experience with user-space networking, including DPDK, RDMA, and kernel-bypass techniques.
- Strong systems-programming skills, including memory management, lock-free data structures, and NUMA-aware programming.
- Strong programming skills in a systems programming language.
- Experience with performance optimization tools and techniques.
- Strong debugging skills for complex, multi-layered issues.
- 5+ years of experience in systems programming or network programming.
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.

## Nice-to-Haves
- Understanding of ML accelerators and accelerator drivers.
- Experience designing new network protocols.
- Experience with PCIe and PCIe device drivers.
- Expertise in networking algorithms, including compression and graph algorithms.
- Experience programming on SmartNICs.
- Experience with Rust or willingness to learn it.
- Background in HPC, telecommunications, host networking software, OS/kernel engineering, or embedded systems.

## Compensation and Benefits
- Annual salary: **$280,000–$850,000 USD**.
- Competitive compensation and benefits.
- Optional equity donation matching.
- Generous vacation and parental leave.
- Flexible working hours.
- Office collaboration space.
- Visa sponsorship may be available depending on the role and candidate.

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