Distributed Systems Engineer — Full Time

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

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.