AI Compiler Engineer

Develop compilers for next-generation Edge AI compute architectures  

Imec the Netherlands has established a world-leading track record on the design of novel sensors for human health applications and ultra-low-power IoT devices in general. For instance, our teams continue to develop innovations in implantable therapeutics, medical/wearable devices, environmental monitoring, accurate localization, and many other fields. At our HQ in Leuven, Belgium we are world-renowned for pioneering new process technologies in collaboration with industrial foundries and with the broader semiconductor ecosystem. Imec’s research tracks enable unique opportunities for end-to-end innovations. 

The team at imec the Netherlands develops innovative solutions for both the Life Science and Medical Device domain, as well as large-scale, heterogeneous sensor networks that connect billions of devices within the Internet of Things (IoT). We have built various ultra-low-power (ULP) radio ICs, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth-LE, and a UWB 6-10 GHz radio tuned towards precise ranging and localization. Additionally, we are advancing a wide range of neuro-inspired architectures, efficiently implementing them in ICs across multiple computational domains, such as spiking neural networks, online and on-chip learning, sparse coding, and dynamic control. Our novel technologies will enable a wide range of smart IoT applications. Furthermore, we deliver our designs to customers, secure patents for the different inventions, and share our findings through publications in renowned conferences and journals, including ISSCC, ICC, WCNC, JSSC, and ISCAS.   

What you will do

In the role of an AI Compiler Engineer, you will take part in the development of the next generation of Edge AI solutions. You will actively contribute to the evolution of imec’s Edge AI and Neuromorphic roadmap while working on cutting-edge research and prototyping efforts.  

Your primary responsibility is to design and develop compilers and software development kits (SDKs) for next-generation AI and Edge compute architectures. This includes neuromorphic systems, RISC-V based platforms, and other unconventional or emerging compute paradigms. You will play a key role in designing and developing compiler technologies that bridge the gap between high-level machine learning frameworks and low-level hardware execution, enabling efficient deployment of AI models. This position plays a key role in imec’s efforts in developing hardware-accelerated AI solutions and involves close collaboration with hardware designers, algorithm researchers, and system architects.  

Your responsibilities as an AI Compiler Engineer include:   

• Design and implement compilers for a variety of Edge compute architectures, including neuromorphic, RISC-V, and unconventional compute platforms. 
• Develop and maintain SDKs that provide intuitive APIs and tooling for researchers and developers across multiple hardware targets. 
• Collaborate with chip architects to understand and optimize for the underlying hardware (e.g., memory hierarchies, parallelism, event-driven computation, vector processing). 
• Translate high-level neural and algorithmic models (e.g., SNN/ANN-based neural networks, hybrid models, transformer-based models) into low-level executable formats. 
• Analyze performance bottlenecks and propose solutions to optimize performance, power, and resource utilization across the software stack. 
• Contribute to the documentation, tutorials, and developer support materials. 
• Participate in the research, management, and organization of ongoing EU and customer projects. 
• Stay up to date with emerging compute paradigms and contribute to the strategic direction of software tooling. 

What we do for you

As an AI Compiler Engineer at imec the Netherlands you get the chance to scale future computing beyond what is possible with silicon CMOS. In collaboration with your colleagues, you will work on several challenges to the design of efficient (brain-like) chips: scalable, energy-efficient, highly flexible network architectures that can learn with incredible efficiency.   

Imec the Netherlands, as an employer of choice, offers you an attractive compensation and benefits package including a 100% employer-paid pension plan and flexible working hours. Furthermore, imec-NL offers a wide range of training possibilities. For international candidates, we provide support in the relocation process.   

Who you are

Required Qualifications:

• PhD or a Master’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering or related field. 
• 4+ years of demonstrated experience in compiler and SDK development. 
• Strong background in compiler design, optimization techniques, and intermediate representations (e.g., LLVM, MLIR). 
• Experience with SDK development, including API design and integration with simulation/emulation environments. 
• Experience with creating simulators for the evaluation of HW architectures with applications in mind. 
• Solid understanding of computer architectures, including memory systems, parallelism, and instruction set design. 
• Solid understanding of machine learning, deep learning, and AI frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch, NEST, etc.). 
• Proficiency in C/C++, Python, and relevant toolchains. 
• Familiarity with hardware/software co-design, embedded systems and performance profiling tools. 
• Proactive and hands-on mindset, demonstrating initiative, adaptability, and problem-solving skills in a dynamic environment.   
• Your communication, scientific writing and presentation skills in English are excellent.  

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with compiler and SDK development for neuromorphic, RISC-V, or other novel computing platforms such as Loihi, BrainScaleS, or RISC-V based AI accelerators. 
• Knowledge and understanding of neural networks, especially emerging NN-based computations, event-based processing, and memory-centric computing. 
• Experience in cross-disciplinary teams involving hardware, software, and neuroscience. 
• Contributions to publications, or demonstrable past projects in relevant domains. 

Interested

Does this position sound like an interesting next step in your career and work on making societal impact? Don’t hesitate to apply today by submitting your full resume and motivation Letter. Do you have any questions about this position? Then you can contact Maartje van Hout, Talent Acquisition Specialist. You can reach Maartje at maartje.vanhout.ext@imec.nl.