Distributed Systems Engineer

Dedalus (YC S25) is hiring a full-time distributed systems engineer to help build the infrastructure layer powering the next generation of AI agents.

We are building persistent compute infrastructure, cloud sandboxes, and developer tools for long-running AI agents. Our systems span virtualization, orchestration, storage, networking, and low-level runtime infrastructure. The role is based in San Francisco and involves working closely with a small, highly technical team operating at startup speed.

What You’ll Work On

• Distributed systems infrastructure for large-scale agent workloads

• Virtualization and sandboxing technologies

• Persistent compute and storage systems

• Scheduling, orchestration, and reliability engineering

• Performance optimization across systems layers

• Internal developer platforms and infrastructure tooling

• Production systems operating under real-world scale and latency constraints

Requirements

• Strong systems programming ability in Rust (preferred), Go, C/C++, or similar languages

• Graduate-level knowledge of distributed systems and operating systems concepts

• Experience building distributed systems in industry, research, or open source

• Experience with Kubernetes and modern cloud infrastructure

• Familiarity with one or more of the following:

  • distributed block storage

  • consistency models

  • virtualization and hypervisors

  • kernel or low-level systems architecture

• Strong understanding of systems performance, reliability, and debugging

Nice-to-Have

• Published systems research papers (NSDI, OSDI, SOSP, ATC, EuroSys, etc.)

• Experience working on operating systems, kernels, or virtualization stacks

• Contributions to open-source systems projects (Linux, Firecracker, Cloud Hypervisor, etc.)

• Experience with low-level performance optimization

• Experience building infrastructure at scale

What We Look For

We look for people who combine strong technical ability with high agency, curiosity, and a commitment to building meaningful technology.

• Strong technical foundation in computer science or related fields

• Proactively identifies problems and drives solutions independently

• Learns quickly and thrives in fast-paced environments

• Collaborative, kind, and team-oriented

• Willing to take ownership and do the work required to achieve results

• Calm and resilient in ambiguous or high-pressure situations

• Open-minded, creative, intellectually curious, and capable of critical thinking

• Thoughtful perspectives on technology and its broader impact

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive salary + equity

• Relocation support available

• Meals and office benefits included

• In-person in San Francisco

To apply, submit your resume, GitHub, personal website, research papers, or notable projects. We especially value candidates who have experience building ambitious technical systems.