Principal Engineer
Principal Engineer
Principal Engineer
ABOUT ASTRUS
ABOUT ASTRUS
ABOUT ASTRUS
📍 Location: Toronto or Waterloo, Canada
At Astrus, we are using AI to automate microchip design, starting with the biggest bottleneck, analog layout. Our mission is to radically improve global computation and empower chip designers to create the world's most advanced microchips with AI. Astrus is backed by top-tier VC firms: Khosla Ventures, HOF Capital, and 1517 Fund.
📍 Location: Toronto or Waterloo, Canada
At Astrus, we are using AI to automate microchip design, starting with the biggest bottleneck, analog layout. Our mission is to radically improve global computation and empower chip designers to create the world's most advanced microchips with AI. Astrus is backed by top-tier VC firms: Khosla Ventures, HOF Capital, and 1517 Fund.
ABOUT THE ROLE
ABOUT THE ROLE
ABOUT THE ROLE
As a Principal Engineer at Astrus, you’ll shape the foundational software that powers our entire AI layout system. You’ll lead end-to-end: from early whiteboard designs through architecture, implementation, scaling, and long-term ownership.
You’ll sit at the intersection of AI systems, real-time collaboration, and semiconductor workflows — helping define how AI and engineers co-design chips together.
This is a high-leverage role for builders who can span design and execution, raise the bar on code and systems thinking, and love solving hard, interdisciplinary problems.
As a Principal Engineer at Astrus, you’ll shape the foundational software that powers our entire AI layout system. You’ll lead end-to-end: from early whiteboard designs through architecture, implementation, scaling, and long-term ownership.
You’ll sit at the intersection of AI systems, real-time collaboration, and semiconductor workflows — helping define how AI and engineers co-design chips together.
This is a high-leverage role for builders who can span design and execution, raise the bar on code and systems thinking, and love solving hard, interdisciplinary problems.
WHAT YOU WILL DO
WHAT YOU WILL DO
WHAT YOU WILL DO
Design & Architect event-driven, eventually-consistent systems that power layout generation, review, and interactive editing (Python/FastAPI, Rust, TypeScript, GraphQL).
Model Complex Domains: layout hierarchies, versioned artifacts, PDK-aware constraints, and high-frequency design workflows — across TypeScript, DynamoDB, and AWS Neptune.
Scale AI Infrastructure: build services that support thousands of layout generations and evaluations per minute — with distributed scheduling, notifications, and long-lived compute pipelines.
Own Quality & Security: shape our CI/CD workflows, implement secure-by-default access control (ABAC), and integrate customer IDPs (OIDC/SAML).
Mentor & Collaborate: work alongside an exceptional team of systems engineers, product thinkers, and AI researchers. Set high standards, give clear feedback, and help others level up.
Design & Architect event-driven, eventually-consistent systems that power layout generation, review, and interactive editing (Python/FastAPI, Rust, TypeScript, GraphQL).
Model Complex Domains: layout hierarchies, versioned artifacts, PDK-aware constraints, and high-frequency design workflows — across TypeScript, DynamoDB, and AWS Neptune.
Scale AI Infrastructure: build services that support thousands of layout generations and evaluations per minute — with distributed scheduling, notifications, and long-lived compute pipelines.
Own Quality & Security: shape our CI/CD workflows, implement secure-by-default access control (ABAC), and integrate customer IDPs (OIDC/SAML).
Mentor & Collaborate: work alongside an exceptional team of systems engineers, product thinkers, and AI researchers. Set high standards, give clear feedback, and help others level up.
WHO YOU ARE
WHO YOU ARE
WHO YOU ARE
7+ years of experience building production-grade, distributed systems.
Comfortable leading system design — from a complex problem space to a well-scoped, maintainable implementation.
Expertise in at least one modern programming language— and the curiosity to master others. We lean on Python, Rust, Go, and TypeScript; deep fundamentals matter more than a specific stack.
Demonstrated capabilities in distributed architectures.
Experience with event sourcing, message buses, or eventual consistency.
You care deeply about architecture, developer experience, and long-term code health.
7+ years of experience building production-grade, distributed systems.
Comfortable leading system design — from a complex problem space to a well-scoped, maintainable implementation.
Expertise in at least one modern programming language— and the curiosity to master others. We lean on Python, Rust, Go, and TypeScript; deep fundamentals matter more than a specific stack.
Demonstrated capabilities in distributed architectures.
Experience with event sourcing, message buses, or eventual consistency.
You care deeply about architecture, developer experience, and long-term code health.
WHY THIS ROLE MATTERS
WHY THIS ROLE MATTERS
WHY THIS ROLE MATTERS
We’re solving one of the hardest — and most impactful — automation problems in engineering.
You’ll work on novel systems with real-world consequences.
You’ll help define a new category of software: where AI, physics, and engineering design meet.
We value talent density, speed, and candor — and we’re building a company that reflects that.
We’re solving one of the hardest — and most impactful — automation problems in engineering.
You’ll work on novel systems with real-world consequences.
You’ll help define a new category of software: where AI, physics, and engineering design meet.
We value talent density, speed, and candor — and we’re building a company that reflects that.
Ready to radically improve global computation? 🚀📈🌎 🤖
Ready to radically improve global computation? 🚀📈🌎 🤖
Reach out to careers@astrus.ai or Steph Hector for more details
Reach out to careers@astrus.ai or Steph Hector for more details