---
title: 'Staff Software Engineer, Networking at Crusoe'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/staff-software-engineer-networking-crusoe-san-francisco-0zy0smn56v6b'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-06'
---

# Staff Software Engineer, Networking at Crusoe

- **Company:** [Crusoe](https://feeny.ai/companies/crusoe)
- **Location:** San Francisco, CA / United States
- **Compensation:** $185k–$224k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-08-31
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-06
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/Crusoe/2434efc4-dfa9-4a52-89ff-663bf927d8a1/application

**Skills:** C, C++, Rust, Linux Systems Internals, Kernel Architecture, Memory Management, Device Drivers, Network Programming, XDP/EBPF, AF_XDP, DPDK, Mellanox, Nvidia SmartNICs, DPU Bluefield3, Intel IPU, SR-IOV, vDPA, Open vSwitch, Openflow, Open Virtual Networking

> Lead the development and execution of Crusoe Cloud's Software Defined Networking strategy, leveraging advanced technologies like XDP/EBPF, DPDK, and SmartNICs. The role involves driving innovation, optimizing Linux kernel components, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to deploy industry-leading networking...

## Job description

Crusoe is on a mission to accelerate the abundance of energy and intelligence. As the only vertically integrated AI infrastructure company built from the ground up, we own and operate each layer of the stack — from electrons to tokens — to power the world's most ambitious AI workloads. When you join Crusoe, you join a team that is building the future, faster.

We're in the midst of the greatest industrial revolution of our time. The demand for AI compute is boundless, and power is a bottleneck. We're solving that — with an energy-first approach that makes AI infrastructure better for the world and faster for the people innovating with AI.

We're looking for problem-solving, opportunity-finding teammates with a sense of urgency, who believe in the scale of our ambition and thrive on a path not fully paved — people who want to grow their careers alongside a team of experts across energy, manufacturing, data center construction, and cloud services.

If you want to do the most meaningful work of your career, help our customers and partners advance their AI strategies, and be part of a high-performing team that believes in each other, come build with us at Crusoe.

About the Role: Crusoe Cloud seeks a highly skilled and experienced Staff Software Engineer to lead the development and execution of our cutting-edge Software Defined Networking strategy. You will play a pivotal role in driving innovation and performance improvements within our network infrastructure by leveraging advanced technologies such as XDP/EBPF, DPDK, SmartNICs, and DPUs/IPUs.

What You'll Be Working On:

- Develop and execute the roadmap for Crusoe Cloud's Software Defined Networking strategy.
- Lead the engineering team through all phases of the software development lifecycle, including architecture decisions, design processes, design reviews, code reviews, and implementation tasks.
- Collaborate closely with the network infrastructure organization to develop and deploy industry-leading networking solutions.
- Lead the design, development, and support of Linux Kernel and driver components, focusing on system architecture and optimization.
- Drive the adoption and integration of kernel bypass technologies such as XDP/EBPF, AF_XDP, and DPDK.
- Deep expertise in network accelerators such as Mellanox/NVIDIA SmartNICs (ConnectX-6/7), DPU BlueField-3, or Intel IPU.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams across the organization to ensure successful project delivery and operational excellence.

What You'll Bring to the Team:

- 8+ years of proven experience in building and operating high-performance networking systems in a production environment.
- Strong proficiency in system programming languages such as C, C++, and/or Golang.
- Deep expertise in Linux Systems Internals, including kernel architecture, memory management, and device drivers.
- In-depth knowledge of network programming principles and packet processing pipelines.
- Hands-on experience with kernel bypass technologies like XDP/EBPF, AF_XDP, and DPDK.
- Proven understanding of TCP/IP and networking accelerators such as Mellanox/Nvidia SmartNICs, DPU Bluefield3, and Intel IPU.
- Familiarity with technologies like SR-IOV, vDPA, and scalable functions.
- Strong background in kernel or embedded development, with a focus on the Linux kernel.
- Experience with Open vSwitch, Openflow, and Open Virtual Networking technologies.
- Proven ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Demonstrated commitment to professional software engineering best practices, including coding standards, code reviews, source control management, testing, and operations.

Bonus Points:

- Advanced degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.
- Proven leadership experience in a technical role.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Experience with cloud networking platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and virtualization technologies (VMware, KVM).
- A strong track record of contributions to the open-source community (e.g., Open vSwitch/OVS, Open Virtual Networking/OVN, Multus, Cilium).

Benefits:

- Competitive compensation
- Restricted Stock Units
- Paid time off & paid holidays
- Comprehensive health, dental & vision insurance
- Employer contributions to HSA account
- Paid parental leave
- Paid life insurance, short-term and long-term disability
- Professional development & tuition reimbursement
- Mental health & wellness support
- Commuter benefits (parking & transit)
- Cell phone stipend
- 401(k) Retirement plan with company match up to 4% of salary
- Volunteer time off

## Compensation Range

Compensation will be paid in the range of up to $215,000 - $260,000 + Bonus. Restricted Stock Units are included in all offers. Compensation to be determined by the applicants knowledge, education, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data. Crusoe is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, citizenship, marital status, sex/gender, sexual preference/ orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, national origin, or any other status protected by law or regulation.

## About Crusoe

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Crusoe is an energy-first AI infrastructure company that designs, builds, and operates hyperscale data centers and a cloud platform purpose-built for artificial intelligence workloads.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series E)
- **Headquarters**: Denver, Colorado, USA
- **Founded**: 2018
- **Founders**: Chase Lochmiller and Cully Cavness

## Core Business
- Primary industry/industries: AI Infrastructure, Cloud Computing, Data Centers, Clean Energy
- Target customers: Enterprise AI companies, AI-native startups, research institutions, government agencies (B2B)
- **Mission**: "Accelerate the abundance of energy and intelligence."

## Products & Services
- **Crusoe Cloud**: An AI-optimized cloud platform purpose-built for AI workloads, featuring high-performance NVIDIA and AMD compute, accelerated storage, and optimized RDMA networking. Claims to deploy models up to 20x faster and cut costs by up to 81%.
- **Crusoe Managed Inference**: A managed AI inference service built with Crusoe's proprietary MemoryAlloy technology, offering best-in-class speed, throughput, and reliability. Features the Crusoe Intelligence Foundry for model selection and API key management.
- **AI Data Center Infrastructure**: Vertically integrated design, build, and operation of hyperscale AI factories (e.g., the 1.2 GW Stargate campus in Abilene, TX). Modular, scalable construction for power-hungry AI workloads.
- **Crusoe Managed Kubernetes & Slurm**: Managed orchestration services that eliminate operational overhead for customers.
- **Crusoe AutoClusters**: Fault-tolerant, managed cluster services for large-scale AI training.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed (private company).
- **Key Metric**: Raised over $1.8B+ in total funding (Series E in 2024 was $1B+; Series D in 2024 was $600M; Series C in 2021 was $350M).
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: NVIDIA, NYDIG, GE Vernova, Redwood Materials, Tallgrass, AMD. The company has also partnered with leading energy and technology firms to power its data centers.
- **Growth Signals**: Divested bitcoin mining business to NYDIG in 2023 to focus exclusively on AI infrastructure; broke ground on the 1.2 GW Stargate campus in Abilene, TX; expanded into Europe with a geothermal/hydro-powered deployment in Iceland; announced 1.8 GW Wyoming data center with Tallgrass; acquired GPU memory optimization startup Atero and established a Tel Aviv office.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Energy-First Approach**: The company’s core differentiator is its vertical integration starting from energy sourcing. It uses "environmentally aligned power sources" (wind, solar, hydropower, geothermal, natural gas with carbon capture) to power its AI factories, including pioneering technology to convert wasted natural gas into energy.
- **Vertical Integration**: Controls the entire stack—from finding innovative energy sources to building and managing hyperscale data centers and operating the cloud platform.
- **NVIDIA Partnership**: Close partnership with NVIDIA, providing access to the latest and highest-performance GPU hardware for its cloud and infrastructure.
- **Proven Performance**: Claims 99.98% uptime, 100% customer satisfaction score, and significant cost/performance advantages (up to 81% cost reduction).

## Strategic Focus
- **Massive Infrastructure Expansion**: Aggressively scaling its data center footprint, with major projects in Abilene, Texas (Stargate) and Wyoming (Tallgrass), and expansion into Europe.
- **Deepening AI Cloud**: Continuing to build out its Crusoe Cloud platform with managed services (Kubernetes, Slurm, AutoClusters) to make it easier for AI companies to use their infrastructure.
- **Responsible AI**: Emphasizing sustainability and responsible AI governance, as evidenced by achieving ISO 42001 certification and publishing an ESG report.
- **Acquisition-led Growth**: Acquired Atero (GPU memory optimization) to enhance its core technology stack.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-Driven**: The company is united by a tangible mission: "Accelerate the abundance of energy and intelligence." Employees report high levels of engagement (92% proud to work there per internal survey).
- **Massive Growth Trajectory**: Crusoe is at the center of the AI infrastructure boom, building some of the world's most powerful AI factories. For job seekers, this means exposure to cutting-edge technology and the opportunity to scale a company from a startup to an industry leader.
- **Culture**: The company values "moving fast and making things," continuous learning, and collective genius. It describes itself as an "AI factory company" that values velocity and impact.
- **Work Policy**: Hybrid/Office presence required in most roles. Office locations include: Denver (HQ), San Francisco, Sunnyvale, Bellevue, Tulsa, Dublin (Ireland), and Tel Aviv (Israel).
- **Benefits**: Competitive compensation & equity, comprehensive health & wellness, mental health resources, retirement plans, paid time off, leave of absence programs, learning & development, volunteer time off, daily meals allowance, and other location-specific perks.
- **Engineering Culture**: Strong emphasis on technical excellence, working with large-scale systems, and pioneering new approaches to energy and infrastructure. The company values candidates' "AI fluency" in its hiring process.

## Sources
1. [crusoe.ai](https://www.crusoe.ai/)
2. [crusoe.ai/careers](https://www.crusoe.ai/about/careers)
3. [crusoe.ai/about/culture](https://www.crusoe.ai/about/careers/culture)
4. [crusoe.ai/about/company](https://www.crusoe.ai/about/company)

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