Distinguished Engineer - Machine Learning (VP level)

About Us

Axelera AI is not your regular deep-tech startup. We are creating the next-generation AI platform to support anyone who wants to help advancing humanity and improve the world around us. In just three years, we have raised a total of $120 million and have built a world-class team of 180+ employees (including 55+ PhDs with more than 40,000 citations), both remotely from 11 different countries and with offices in Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, the UK, headquartered at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven, Netherlands. We have also launched our Metis AI Platform, which achieves a 3-5x increase in efficiency and performance, and have visibility into a strong business pipeline exceeding $100 million. Our unwavering commitment to innovation has firmly established us as a global industry pioneer. Are you up for the challenge?

Position Overview

As a Distinguished Engineer at Axelera AI, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the company’s AI and machine learning strategy with a long-term, industry-leading perspective. You will work cross-functionally to develop transformative AI technologies, influencing company-wide initiatives, and setting new standards for engineering excellence. This role transcends traditional boundaries, requiring a visionary mindset that anticipates future industry trends and technological advancements.

Key responsibilities:

• Own and deliver company-wide AI and ML initiatives with multi-year, multi-team impact, ensuring scalability and adaptability beyond current business needs.
• Provide thought leadership and influence Axelera AI’s strategic direction by engaging with senior leadership, external partners, and industry consortiums.
• Lead the research and development of next-generation AI and ML models, driving significant breakthroughs in efficiency, performance, and innovation.
• Spearhead engineering best practices, setting a high standard for system architecture, code quality, and team processes.
• Actively contribute to hiring, mentoring, and coaching senior engineers, fostering a high-performance culture that attracts top talent.
• Publish research findings, contribute to industry discussions, and represent Axelera AI at conferences and external engagements.
• Bridge the gap between technical capabilities and business needs by collaborating with product and business teams to define roadmaps and strategic opportunities.
• Lead large-scale, high-impact projects with exceptional execution, managing ambiguity, tight deadlines, and evolving requirements.
• Drive continuous improvement by leveraging industry best practices, customer insights, and cutting-edge research to enhance Axelera AI's AI/ML solutions.
• Foster a strong engineering community within Axelera AI by championing hybrid/remote-first collaboration practices, inclusion, and diversity initiatives.
• Partner with executive leadership to define a long-term vision for AI and ML at Axelera AI, ensuring alignment with both market demands and technical advancements.
• Develop scalable solutions and frameworks that empower multiple teams, enabling efficient ML deployment across Axelera AI’s product ecosystem.
• Take ownership of technical decision-making, ensuring optimal solutions for the broader organization while driving innovation and calculated risk-taking.
• Model a standard of excellence, accountability, and leadership that inspires teams and influences company-wide culture and strategy.

Qualifications:

• PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, or related fields.
• 10+ years of post-PhD experience in AI/ML research and development, with a track record of leading large-scale projects and driving impactful innovations outside of academia.
• Deep expertise in AI/ML frameworks, deep learning algorithms, and hardware-optimized machine learning.
• Strong background in neuromorphic computing, hardware-efficient AI, or computational neuroscience is a plus.
• Experience managing and mentoring senior engineers, influencing company-wide technical direction, and driving engineering excellence.
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to influence executives, engineers, and external stakeholders.
• A robust and continuous (incl. last 2 years) history of contributions to academic research, open-source projects, or industry consortiums is highly desirable.

Location

We offer a flexible working arrangement, with options to:

• Work from one of our Axelera AI offices (Leuven in Belgium, Amsterdam and Eindhoven in the Netherlands, Zurich in Switzerland, Florence and Milan in Italy, Paris in France or Bristol in the United Kingdom) if you are already based in the vicinity.
• Work fully remotely from any European country (incl. the UK) you are already in.
• Relocate from outside Europe/UK to one of the cities where we have an established office.

What we offer

This is your chance to shape and be part of a dynamic, fast-growing, international organization. We offer an attractive compensation package, including a pension plan, extensive employee insurances and the option to get company shares. An open culture that supports creativity and continual innovation is awaiting you. Collaborative ownership and freedom with responsibility is characteristic for the way we act and work as a team. At Axelera AI, we wholeheartedly embrace equal opportunity and hold diversity in the highest regard. Our steadfast commitment is to cultivate a warm and inclusive environment that empowers and celebrates every member of our team. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds to join us in shaping the future of AI.