Safety Software Lead / Architect / Manager

Job Title

Safety Software Lead / Architect / Manager

Role Summary

Lead the software functional safety effort for Quadric's GPNPU software stack, including compiler backends and SDK, to achieve ISO 26262 certification. Work across compiler (TVM, LLVM), SDK, tooling, and customer-facing activities to deliver safety-certified software for automotive and embedded customers.

This is a hybrid role based in Burlingame, CA (preferred) with two or more days in-office per week; strong remote candidates in the U.S. will be considered.

Experience Level

Senior — requires substantial industry experience. The posting requests a minimum of eight years of relevant experience.

Responsibilities

Primary responsibilities include establishing and executing the software safety lifecycle and producing required artifacts for certification.

• Lead end-to-end software functional safety efforts to achieve ISO 26262 certification for the NPU software stack.
• Ensure safety compliance of AI compiler components, with emphasis on TVM and LLVM backends used for NPU code generation.
• Define and implement development processes: MISRA-C/C++, unit testing, automated traceability from requirements to design and test.
• Produce and maintain safety artifacts: Safety Manuals, Cybersecurity Capability Reports, Traceability Matrices, and related documentation.
• Oversee qualification of software tools used in the SDK and compiler toolchain to meet automotive safety requirements.
• Collaborate with OEMs and Tier-1 customers to align on safety requirements and provide documentation for system-level certifications.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills, standards knowledge, and practical experience to perform the role.

• Proven track record leading software safety certification for complex semiconductor or accelerator products (NPUs, GPUs, or high-performance CPUs).
• Deep knowledge of AI compiler stacks and code generation; hands-on experience with TVM and LLVM backends.
• Familiarity with automotive standards and processes: ISO 21434 (cybersecurity), ASPICE, and AUTOSAR.
• Experience with system-level software: drivers, firmware, and bare-metal runtimes for AI accelerators.
• Experience implementing security and compliance practices to produce safety-certified software stacks for automotive/industrial systems.
• Experience working with development and tracking tools (e.g., JIRA, GitHub) and producing traceability artifacts.
• Ability to work with distributed teams and with OEM/Tier-1 partners on safety requirements.
• Nice-to-have: experience with MLIR or OpenXLA; prior work on tool qualification for automotive toolchains.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science or a related field is required; Master’s or PhD preferred. The role expects a minimum of eight years of relevant industry experience.

About the Company

Company: Quadric

Headquarters: Burlingame, California, United States

Quadric is building the world’s first supercomputer designed for the real-time needs of edge devices. Founded in 2016, the company empowers developers across industries with innovative general-purpose neural processing unit (GPNPU) architecture for neural network workloads. Co-founded by technologists from MIT and Carnegie Mellon, Quadric aims to enable groundbreaking technology development.