Systems Software Engineer, Cluster Control – Automation

CommonAI CIC

. Identify controls available on selected clusters and expose them through documented programmatic interfaces .

Posted 10/23/2026full-timeCambridge • United KingdomMid-LevelSenior💰 £60,000 - £105,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in building systems software and automation for configuring and controlling computing infrastructure, with a strong focus on Linux environments and distributed systems. Proficient in using AI coding agents for code validation and testing infrastructure changes.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Systems Software DevelopmentCluster AutomationLinux ProficiencyAI Coding Agents ExperienceKubernetes Knowledge

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Programming SkillsDebugging SkillsExperiment-Control SoftwareOrchestrationDevice ControlNetworkingResource AllocationError HandlingState ConfirmationConfiguration Management

Soft Skills

Problem-SolvingJudgment in Code Validation

Tools & Technologies

KubernetesTerraformOpenTofuNixOSCoreOSJob-Control SystemsAccelerators

Industry Keywords

Distributed SystemsHPC AutomationConfiguration InterfacesCluster Operators CoordinationExperimental Scope Testing

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

Distributed SystemsKubernetesLinuxTerraform

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Identify controls available on selected clusters and expose them through documented programmatic interfaces
Automate configuration and experiment setup across workload placement, serving settings, resource allocation, and device configuration
Build reliable execution with precondition checks, state confirmation, error handling, and recovery
Record requested actions, outcomes, and resulting configuration for reproducible experiments
Coordinate access, permissions, and changes with cluster operators
Test success, failure, and recovery paths within the experimental scope
Design interfaces for future design-space optimisation software
Build an interface for serving-configuration changes and demonstrate repeatable experiments across configurations

Requirements

What you’ll need

Experience building systems software or automation that configures and controls real computing infrastructure
Strong programming and debugging skills
Practical understanding of Linux and relevant hardware/software interfaces
Depth in one or more of: cluster or HPC automation, distributed systems, orchestration, device control, networking, or experiment-control software
Ability to reason about partial failure, state, permissions, and consequences of changing a running system
Practical experience using AI coding agents, with judgement to validate generated code and test infrastructure or hardware changes
Experience with accelerators, job-control systems, Kubernetes, operating systems such as NixOS or CoreOS, or IaC tools such as Terraform/OpenTofu would be useful
Applicants must be based in the UK; applicants across the UK are welcome

Benefits

Comp & perks

Competitive salary package, including pension and benefits
Professional development opportunities
Networking opportunities with influential figures from across the tech sector and academia
Substantial tooling budget for frontier models and coding agents
Collaborative and supportive work environment
High-impact opportunity in a growing organisation
Hybrid working with regular time in Cambridge agreed individually
Flexible part-time arrangements and consultancy options
Vibrant office environment a few minutes’ walk from Cambridge train station