Senior Performance Engineer (RISC-V, AI & HPC)Location: Limerick, Ireland (Hybrid / Flexible)Employment Type: Permanent, Full-timeCompany Type: High-growth deep-tech startupRole OverviewA fast-growing deep-tech startup based in Limerick is seeking a Senior / Principal Performance Engineer to work on next-generation RISC-V silicon. This role focuses on optimising AI, HPC, and system-level workloads across both pre-silicon and silicon environments.This is a highly technical, hands-on position, ideal for engineers who enjoy working close to the hardware and collaborating across software, firmware, compiler, and hardware teams.Key ResponsibilitiesOptimise AI, HPC, and system workloads for custom RISC-V architectures, including vector extensionsCharacterise workloads, identify performance bottlenecks, and drive implementation of solutionsAnalyse application behaviour across the full system stack (CPU, memory, storage, power)Profile and optimise software on pre-silicon platforms (simulators, emulators, FPGAs) and on real siliconPerform root-cause analysis and resolve complex performance issuesOptimise HPC and AI libraries, runtimes, and benchmarksContribute to operating-system-level instrumentation for performance and powerIntegrate performance benchmarking into CI/CD pipelinesPresent findings to senior technical stakeholders and, where appropriate, at industry conferencesContribute to upstream open-source projectsWork closely with hardware teams, influencing hardware/software co-design decisionsCollaborate with compiler, firmware, OS, AI stack, and middleware teamsParticipate in code reviews, design discussions, and bug triagingContribute to shared team responsibilities such as documentation, CI issue triage, and technical rotationsRequired Qualifications & ExperienceBachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field3–5+ years’ experience in performance engineering, systems engineering, HPC, or low-level software developmentStrong understanding of computer architecture (CPU, cache, memory hierarchy, interconnects)Proven experience with performance optimisation and profilingStrong programming skills in C/C++ (Rust is a plus)Experience working with assembly language (any architecture)Solid understanding of Linux, operating systems, and system-level softwareStrong analytical and problem-solving skillsRISC-V development, particularly at the assembly levelAI or HPC performance optimisationFamiliarity with performance tools (Linux perf, VTune, flamegraphs, lmbench, sysbench, etc.)Experience with HPC and AI benchmarks (SPEC CPU, Linpack, MLPerf, Graph500, etc.)Experience with simulators and emulators (QEMU, Gem5, Spike)Bare-metal or embedded systems developmentFortran and/or statistical analysisContainerised environments (Docker, Kubernetes)Soft Skills & MindsetStrong team player with excellent communication skillsCurious and motivated to learn new technologies and architecturesComfortable collaborating across teams and disciplinesProactive, self-driven, and solution-focusedThrives in a fast-paced startup environment
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