Performance Modeling Engineer

About EtchedEtched is building the world’s first AI inference system purpose-built for transformers - delivering over 10x higher performance and dramatically lower cost and latency than a B200. With Etched ASICs, you can build products that would be impossible with GPUs, like real-time video generation models and extremely deep & parallel chain-of-thought reasoning agents. Backed by hundreds of millions from top-tier investors and staffed by leading engineers, Etched is redefining the infrastructure layer for the fastest growing industry in history.Key ResponsibilitiesDevelop comprehensive performance models and projections for Sohu's transformer-specific architecture across varying workloads and configurationsProfile and analyze deep learning workloads on Sohu to identify micro-architectural bottlenecks and optimization opportunitiesBuild analytical and simulation-based models to predict performance under different architectural configurations and design trade-offsCollaborate with hardware architects to inform micro-architectural decisions based on workload characteristics and performance analysisDrive hardware/software co-optimization by identifying opportunities where architectural features can unlock significant performance improvementsCharacterize and optimize memory hierarchy performance, interconnect utilization, and compute resource efficiencyDevelop performance benchmarking frameworks and methodologies specific to transformer inference workloadsKey ResponsibilitiesBuild detailed roofline models and performance projections for Sohu across diverse transformer architectures (Llama, Mixtral, etc.)Profile production inference workloads to identify and eliminate micro-architectural bottlenecksAnalyze memory bandwidth, compute utilization, and interconnect performance to guide next-generation architecture decisionsDevelop performance modeling tools that predict chip behavior across different batch sizes, sequence lengths, and model configurationsCharacterize the performance impact of architectural features like specialized datapaths, memory hierarchies, and on-chip interconnectsCompare Sohu's architectural efficiency against conventional GPU architectures through detailed bottleneck analysisInform hardware design decisions for future generations (next gen and beyond) based on workload analysis and performance projectionsYou may be a good fit if you haveDeep expertise in computer architecture and micro-architecture, particularly for accelerators or domain-specific architecturesStrong performance modeling and analysis skills with experience building analytical or simulation-based performance modelsExperience profiling and optimizing deep learning workloads on hardware accelerators (GPUs, TPUs, ASICs, FPGAs)Strong understanding of hardware/software co-design principles and cross-layer optimizationSolid foundation in digital circuit design and how micro-architectural decisions impact performanceExperience with reconfigurable or heterogeneous architecturesAbility to reason quantitatively about performance bottlenecks across the full stack from circuits to workloadsStrong candidates may also havePhD or equivalent research experience in Computer Architecture or related fieldsExposure to ASIC, FPGA, or CGRA-based accelerator developmentPublished research in computer architecture, ML systems, or hardware accelerationDeep knowledge of GPU architectures and/or CUDA programming modelExperience with architecture simulators and performance modeling tools (gem5, trace-driven simulators, custom models)Track record of informing architectural decisions through rigorous performance analysisFamiliarity with transformer model architectures and inference serving optimizationsBenefitsMedical, dental, and vision packages with generous premium coverage$500 per month credit for waiving medical benefitsHousing subsidy of $2k per month for those living within walking distance of the officeRelocation support for those moving to San Jose (Santana Row)Various wellness benefits covering fitness, mental health, and moreDaily lunch + dinner in our officeHow We’re DifferentEtched believes in the Bitter Lesson. We think most of the progress in the AI field has come from using more FLOPs to train and run models, and the best way to get more FLOPs is to build model-specific hardware. Larger and larger training runs encourage companies to consolidate around fewer model architectures, which creates a market for single-model ASICs.We are a fully in-person team in San Jose (Santana Row), and greatly value engineering skills. We do not have boundaries between engineering and research, and we expect all of our technical staff to contribute to both as needed.Compensation Range: $175K - $275K