Staff Software Engineer, Cluster Orchestration
CoreWeave · Bellevue, WA
- On site
- Full-time
- $275,000 / year
- Bellevue, WA
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Staff Software Engineer, Cluster Orchestration
CoreWeave · Bellevue, WA
Riley Chen
Hiring Manager · h•••••@coreweave.com
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Subject: Interested in the Staff Software Engineer, Cluster Orchestration role at CoreWeave
Hi Riley — I came across the Staff Software Engineer, Cluster Orchestration opening and wanted to reach out directly. I've spent the last few years doing exactly this kind of work, and CoreWeave stood out because…
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Not recommended alone — most applicants never hear back.
Job highlights
- Lead AI cloud orchestration platform strategy.
- Design and operate large-scale distributed systems.
- Specialize in Slurm and Kubernetes internals.
- Mentor senior engineers and set best practices.
- Drive innovation in AI workload scaling.
About the role
About The Role
As part of the Cluster Orchestration team, you will play a key role in advancing CoreWeave’s orchestration platform including SUNK (Slurm on Kubernetes) and beyond, our Kubernetes-native foundation that powers AI training and inference at scale. This is an opportunity to help shape one of the most critical layers of the AI cloud: ensuring workloads run seamlessly, reliably, and efficiently across massive GPU clusters. By building the systems that eliminate infrastructure bottlenecks and create new orchestration capabilities, you will directly empower customers to innovate faster and push the boundaries of what’s possible with AI.What You’ll Do
As a Staff Engineer, you will be a technical leader shaping the long-term strategy for CoreWeave’s orchestration platform. You’ll define architectural direction, own critical parts of the orchestration platform and other managed services, and drive cross-org initiatives in scheduling, quota enforcement, and scaling at hyperscale. You’ll mentor senior engineers, establish org-wide best practices in reliability and observability, and ensure CoreWeave’s orchestration layer evolves to meet the demands of next-generation AI workloads.Who You Are
- 8+ years of software engineering experience.
- Proven track record designing and operating large-scale distributed systems in production.
- Deep expertise in Slurm/Kubernetes internals and cloud-native development.
- Advanced proficiency in Go and distributed systems design and cloud-native development.
- Experience setting technical direction and influencing cross-team architecture.
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in CS, EE, or related field.
Preferred Qualifications
- Familiarity with orchestration and workflow technologies such as Ray, Kubeflow, Kueue, Istio, Knative, or Argo Workflows
- Deep expertise in Slurm/Kubernetes internals.
- Experience with distributed workloads, GPU-based applications, or ML pipelines.
- Knowledge of scheduling concepts like quota enforcement, pre-emption, and scaling strategies.
- Exposure to reliability practices including SLOs, alarms, and post-incident reviews.
- Experience with AI infrastructure and workloads (ML training, inference, or HPC).
- Ability to mentor senior engineers and elevate organizational standards.
Wondering if you’re a good fit?
- You love defining long-term architecture for systems at global scale.
- You’re curious about orchestration beyond SUNK and how to evolve it for next-generation AI.
- You’re an expert at mentorship, architecture, and operational excellence across teams.
- You thrive on solving problems that balance cost, performance, and reliability in high-demand environments.
Key skills/competency
- Staff Software Engineer
- Cluster Orchestration
- AI Cloud
- Kubernetes
- Slurm
- Distributed Systems
- Go
- Cloud-Native Development
- Scalability
- System Design
Skills & topics
- Staff Software Engineer
- Cluster Orchestration
- AI Cloud
- Kubernetes
- Slurm
- Go
- Distributed Systems
- Cloud-Native
- System Design
- HPC
- GPU
- MLOps
- Software Engineering
How to get hired
- Tailor your resume: Highlight your 8+ years of experience in distributed systems, Go, and Kubernetes/Slurm expertise. Quantify achievements in large-scale production environments.
- Showcase leadership: Emphasize experience in setting technical direction, influencing architecture, and mentoring senior engineers.
- Demonstrate expertise: Detail your knowledge of cloud-native development, scheduling concepts, and AI infrastructure. Mention preferred technologies like Ray or Kubeflow.
- Prepare for technical interviews: Be ready to discuss distributed systems design, Go programming, Kubernetes/Slurm internals, and scaling strategies.
- Understand CoreWeave's mission: Align your answers with CoreWeave's role as 'The Essential Cloud for AI™' and their culture of innovation and ownership.
Technical preparation
Master Go concurrency and distributed patterns.,Deep dive into Kubernetes and Slurm internals.,Design scalable distributed systems under pressure.,Practice observability and reliability best practices.
Behavioral questions
Describe a complex system you architected.,How do you mentor other senior engineers?,Explain a time you influenced cross-team architecture.,How do you balance cost, performance, reliability?
Prefer to apply the usual way?
Not recommended alone — most applicants never hear back. Email the hiring manager first.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the base salary range for a Staff Software Engineer at CoreWeave?
- The base salary range for this Staff Software Engineer position at CoreWeave is $185,000 to $275,000 annually. The exact salary will depend on factors like your experience, skills, interview performance, and location.
- Does CoreWeave offer benefits for Staff Software Engineers?
- Yes, CoreWeave offers a comprehensive benefits package for US-based employees, including medical, dental, and vision insurance (100% paid by CoreWeave), life insurance, disability insurance, FSA/HSA, tuition reimbursement, ESPP, mental wellness support, family-forming support, paid parental leave, childcare support, and a 401(k) with an employer match. Benefits may vary for roles outside the US.
- What are the core values at CoreWeave that a Staff Software Engineer should embody?
- CoreWeave's core values are: Be Curious at Your Core, Act Like an Owner, Empower Employees, Deliver Best-in-Class Client Experiences, and Achieve More Together. A Staff Software Engineer should demonstrate these values through their work, especially in leadership, innovation, and collaboration.
- What is the expected work arrangement for the Staff Software Engineer role?
- While not explicitly stated as remote or hybrid, the job description mentions catered lunch at office and data center locations, suggesting a strong emphasis on an on-site or potentially hybrid work environment where in-person collaboration is valued. Given the nature of critical infrastructure roles, an on-site or hybrid arrangement is most likely.
- What specific technical skills are most critical for a Staff Software Engineer at CoreWeave?
- The most critical technical skills for this Staff Software Engineer role include deep expertise in Slurm/Kubernetes internals, advanced proficiency in Go, and a proven track record in designing and operating large-scale distributed systems. Cloud-native development and understanding of AI infrastructure are also essential.
- How does CoreWeave approach mentorship for senior engineers in this role?
- CoreWeave expects Staff Engineers to mentor senior engineers, establishing org-wide best practices in reliability and observability. This involves elevating organizational standards and sharing deep technical expertise to foster growth within the team and across the organization.
- What does CoreWeave mean by 'The Essential Cloud for AI™' and how does this role contribute?
- CoreWeave positions itself as 'The Essential Cloud for AI™' by providing a high-performance platform optimized for AI training and inference. The Staff Software Engineer contributes directly by advancing the orchestration platform, ensuring AI workloads run seamlessly and efficiently on massive GPU clusters, thereby empowering AI innovators.
- What is SUNK at CoreWeave, and what is the opportunity for innovation?
- SUNK (Slurm on Kubernetes) is CoreWeave's Kubernetes-native foundation powering AI training and inference. The role offers an opportunity to work on SUNK and 'beyond,' evolving the orchestration platform for next-generation AI workloads and exploring new orchestration capabilities.
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