Director, Software Engineering Full Time

At InspireSemi, we’re not just building chips; we’re revolutionizing high-performance computing. Our groundbreaking architecture packs thousands of 64-bit CPU cores onto a single chip, all seamlessly connected. We’re driven by a mission to make high-performance computing more accessible, energy-efficient, and easier for developers to harness. Ready to make a real impact? Join our passionate team!

Why Join InspireSemi?

• Be a Pioneer: Get in on the ground floor of a hypergrowth startup! You’ll be part of the senior leadership team shaping the future of computing.
• Make an Impact: Your leadership will define the developer experience for a disruptive technology.
• Scale the Vision: You will have the opportunity to build, scale, and mentor a team.
• Rewarding Compensation: We offer a competitive salary, performance-based bonuses, and significant equity.
• Flexibility: Benefit from a hybrid work model and flexible time off.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a Director of Software Engineering to serve as the primary architect of our software strategy and developer ecosystem. In this high-impact role, you will lead the evolution of our full software stack, from firmware and low-level drivers to world-class compilers and high-level programming models.

What You’ll Do

• Organizational Strategy: Define and own the multi-year software roadmap. Align software deliverables with the company’s commercial goals and product release cycles.
• Department Leadership: Build and scale a multi-disciplinary software organization. Establish a culture of technical excellence, accountability, and continuous mentorship.
• Hardware-Software Co-Design: Serve as the bridge between Software and Silicon. Partner with SoC architects to influence hardware design for maximum software programmability and performance.
• Ecosystem & Standards: Represent InspireSemi in the global RISC-V and HPC communities. Drive the adoption of our architecture by influencing industry standards and open-source contributions.
• Process Excellence: Establish departmental standards for software lifecycle management, including robust CI/CD for hardware-in-the-loop, security audits, and technical debt management.
• Budget & Resource Management: Manage the software engineering budget, tool licensing, and third-party vendor relationships to ensure the team has the resources to win.

What You Bring

• Experience: 15+ years in software engineering, with 8+ years in progressive leadership roles (e.g., Senior Manager or Director) within the semiconductor, HPC, or cloud infrastructure space.
• Low-Level Systems Mastery: Extensive experience in deep embedded software development and bare metal coding, ensuring hardware-software parity at the foundational level.
• Kernel & OS Proficiency: Robust background in Linux systems programming, including kernel-level optimizations, driver development, and distribution management.
• Full-Stack Embedded Strategy: Ability to bridge the gap between high-level application requirements and constrained, low-level execution environments.
• Education: A Bachelor’s or Master’s (preferred) degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
• Technical Depth: A strong background in C/C++, LLVM/GCC toolchains, and system-level software.
• Strategic Delivery: Proven track record of leading large-scale software projects from initial concept through silicon bring-up to successful customer deployment.
• Systemic Knowledge: Deep understanding of many-core architectures, distributed systems, and the interplay between hardware and software performance.
• Communication: Exceptional ability to articulate complex technical visions to board members, customers, and the engineering team alike.

Bonus Points

• Direct experience scaling a software team in a Series B or later startup environment.
• Active leadership in RISC-V International or similar industry bodies.
• Experience with software-defined hardware and virtual platforms for pre-silicon development.

If you’re a visionary leader ready to define the software interface for the most powerful many-core chips on the planet, we want to talk to you.

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