At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the strategy for managing AI infrastructure and ensure optimal performance of hardware systems.
- Company: Join Anthropic, a pioneering tech company focused on reliable AI systems.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, flexible hours, generous leave, and equity donation matching.
- Other info: Dynamic work environment with opportunities for mentorship and career growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in AI by building scalable infrastructure for cutting-edge technology.
- Qualifications: Expertise in distributed systems and cloud platforms; strong coding skills required.
About the role
Anthropic's Infrastructure organization is foundational to our mission of developing AI systems that are reliable, interpretable, and steerable. The systems we build determine how quickly we can train new models, how reliably we can run safety experiments, and how effectively we can scale Claude to millions of users — demonstrating that safe, reliable infrastructure and frontier capabilities can go hand in hand.
Node Infra owns the full lifecycle of accelerator capacity at Anthropic. We ingest and provision compute from all major CSPs and our own datacenters, stand up and scale clusters from thousands to hundreds of thousands of hosts, and build the health, diagnostics and repair automation that keep every GPU, TPU and Trainium node in the fleet usable and ready to power Anthropic’s frontier AI research.
Key responsibilities
- Own the technical strategy and roadmap for node lifecycle management – ingestion, bring‑up, health checking, and automated repair
- Drive cross‑team initiatives to build and scale AI clusters across multiple clouds and accelerator families
- Design and operate the systems that detect, isolate, and remediate unhealthy hardware automatically, driving up fleet MTBI and minimizing stranded capacity
- Define infrastructure architecture, ensuring the hardest problems get solved – whether by you directly or by working through others
- Work closely with cloud providers and internal research/inference/product teams to shape long‑term compute, data, and infrastructure strategy
- Establish and evolve operational excellence practices (incident response, postmortem culture, on‑call)
- Support the growth of engineers around you through technical mentorship and coaching
Minimum qualifications
- Deep expertise in distributed systems, reliability, and cloud platforms (e.g., Kubernetes, IaC, AWS/GCP/Azure)
- Strong proficiency in at least one systems language (e.g., Rust, Go, or Python), IaC proficiency with Terraform
- Hands‑on experience with machine learning accelerators (GPUs, TPUs, or Trainium)
- Track record of leading complex, multi‑quarter technical initiatives that span multiple teams or systems
- Ability to build alignment across senior stakeholders and communicate effectively at all levels
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in a field relevant to the role
Preferred qualifications
- 8+ years of software engineering experience, including time as a technical lead setting direction for a team
- Experience managing large‑scale compute infrastructure at hyperscale (10K+ nodes), including capacity management and efficiency
- Depth in one or more of: Kubernetes internals (scheduler, autoscaler, kubelet, Karpenter), cluster orchestration systems (Mesos, Borg‑like), or node provisioning pipelines
- Low‑level systems experience: kernel, virtualization, device drivers, firmware, or hardware health/diagnostics daemons
- Familiarity with high‑performance networking (EFA, RDMA, InfiniBand) for distributed ML workloads
- Demonstrated ownership of production reliability for high‑throughput, latency‑sensitive systems
- Contributions to relevant open‑source projects (Kubernetes, Linux kernel, container runtimes, etc.)
- Skill in quickly understanding systems design tradeoffs and keeping track of rapidly evolving software systems
Compensation
Annual salary: £325,000 – £485,000 GBP
Benefits
- Competitive compensation and benefits package
- Optional equity donation matching
- Generous vacation and parental leave
- Flexible working hours
- Lovely office space in San Francisco
Senior Staff+ Software Engineer, Node Infra in London employer: Menlo Ventures
At Anthropic, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, particularly for those in the Senior Staff+ Software Engineer role within our Infrastructure organisation. Our vibrant work culture fosters innovation and collaboration, while our commitment to employee growth is evident through mentorship opportunities and a focus on operational excellence. Located in the heart of San Francisco, we offer a competitive compensation package, generous leave policies, and a flexible working environment that empowers our engineers to thrive and contribute to cutting-edge AI research.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Staff+ Software Engineer, Node Infra in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in the industry, attend meetups, and connect with current employees at Anthropic. A friendly chat can sometimes lead to opportunities that aren’t even advertised.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your skills! If you’ve got a GitHub or portfolio, make sure it’s up to date. Share projects that highlight your expertise in distributed systems and cloud platforms. This is your chance to shine!
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for those interviews! Research common questions related to node lifecycle management and distributed systems. Practise explaining complex concepts simply – it shows you can communicate effectively, which is key for this role.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take the initiative to engage directly with us.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Staff+ Software Engineer, Node Infra in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV is tailored to the role. Highlight your experience with distributed systems and cloud platforms, as these are key for us at Anthropic. Use specific examples that showcase your skills in managing large-scale infrastructure.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Share your passion for AI and how your background aligns with our mission. Don’t forget to mention any relevant projects or initiatives you've led that demonstrate your technical strategy skills.
Showcase Your Technical Skills:We want to see your technical prowess! Include details about your hands-on experience with machine learning accelerators and any contributions to open-source projects. This will help us understand your depth of knowledge in the field.
Apply Through Our Website:Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Menlo Ventures
✨Know Your Tech Inside Out
Make sure you’re well-versed in distributed systems, cloud platforms, and the specific technologies mentioned in the job description. Brush up on Kubernetes, IaC, and any systems languages like Rust or Go. Being able to discuss your hands-on experience with machine learning accelerators will definitely impress.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Since this role involves leading complex initiatives, be prepared to share examples of how you've successfully managed multi-team projects. Highlight your ability to build alignment among senior stakeholders and communicate effectively at all levels. This will demonstrate that you can drive cross-team initiatives.
✨Prepare for Technical Questions
Expect deep technical questions related to infrastructure architecture and operational excellence practices. Think about scenarios where you’ve had to troubleshoot or improve system reliability. Practising these responses will help you articulate your thought process clearly during the interview.
✨Cultural Fit Matters
Anthropic values a strong postmortem culture and incident response practices. Be ready to discuss how you’ve contributed to a positive team culture and supported the growth of your colleagues through mentorship. Showing that you align with their values can set you apart from other candidates.
