Staff Edge AI Runtime & Compiler Engineer

Scope

Ambiq is seeking a Principal Edge AI Runtime & Compiler Engineer to build and optimize the embedded software stack that powers real-time battery-powered on-device AI. You will develop Ambiq’s AI runtimes performance-critical operator libraries and profiling/debug tooling that enable customers to deploy efficient inference on resource-constrained devices.

While the cloud has been the default home for AI the next frontier is distributing intelligence everywhere—directly onto real-world devices. Edge AI enables real-time responsiveness stronger privacy lower bandwidth cost and reliable operation even without connectivity. This role helps accelerate the shift to on-device intelligence across a rapidly growing ecosystem of health and fitness wearables smart glasses industrial IoT and always-on sensors.

You’ll work closely with platform silicon and applied ML teams—and directly with customers—to ensure our software extracts maximum performance and energy efficiency from Ambiq hardware while remaining easy to integrate into production embedded toolchains.

Responsibilities 

• Develop and support Ambiq’s embedded AI runtimes (HeliaRT—our fork/extension of TensorFlow Lite for Microcontrollers—and HeliaAOT) with focus on portability correctness performance and usability.
• Implement and optimize ML operator kernels and embedded libraries for on-chip acceleration (DSP vector NPU) including HeliaDSP and HeliaCore components.
• Build and maintain on-device profiling and performance analysis tools including converting PMU counters into actionable insights.
• Drive improvements in latency memory footprint and energy (e.g. joules/inference) through compute/bandwidth and memory-hierarchy analysis.
• Develop benchmark harnesses microbenchmarks and regression tests to ensure numerical correctness and prevent performance regressions.
• Enable seamless customer integration across embedded environments and toolchains (bare metal FreeRTOS Zephyr).
• Improve memory planning/runtime efficiency and manage upstream/fork health; publish and maintain customer-facing assets (docs guides examples benchmarks).

Qualifications 

• BS in Electrical/Computer Engineering Computer Science or related field + 5+ years relevant experience (or equivalent practical experience). MS is a plus especially in embedded systems compilers computer architecture or ML systems.
• Strong experience designing developing and testing embedded software in C/C++.
• Strong debugging discipline with an emphasis on correctness reproducibility and performance regression prevention.
• Solid understanding of compute memory and bandwidth/cache effects on deterministic latency and energy efficiency in constrained systems.
• Ability to interpret hardware/software documentation (datasheets reference manuals; schematics a plus).
• Proficiency with Git (or equivalent version control).
• Efficient use of AI-assisted development tools to improve productivity while maintaining engineering rigor.
• Experience with embedded development workflows: Arm toolchains GDB + J-Link/SEGGER-class probes and CMake/Make build systems.

Nice to have:

• Python for profiling/analysis tooling automation and developer utilities.
• Rust experience.
• Familiarity with TensorFlow Lite for Microcontrollers (or similar embedded inference runtimes).
• Experience optimizing for embedded acceleration targets (e.g. DSP vector extensions NPU).
• Familiarity with CMSIS-NN CMSIS-DSP and/or Vela (or similar).
• Working knowledge of quantized inference (e.g. int8 per-channel) and embedded debugging implications.
• Packaging/integration (e.g. CMSIS-Pack/CPM.cmake) and/or lab measurement experience (power/debug with basic bench tools).

Must be currently authorized to work in the United States for any employer. We do not sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment visas (now or in the future) for this role.

What We Do

Ambiq® enables intelligence (AI and beyond) everywhere by delivering the lowest-power semiconductor solutions for battery-powered edge devices. As a pioneer in ultra-low power SoCs Ambiq empowers wearables IoT smart home healthcare and industrial products with always-on energy-efficient intelligence. Backed by our SPOT® technology and global innovation leadership Ambiq is shaping the future of edge AI.

Why Work With Us

Direct influence on silicon architectureSmaller high-impact teamsHardware/software co-design in real timeFaster technical decision cyclesVisible ownership at Staff & Director levelAustin-based collaboration culture