Vice President (VP)* Engineering

Axelera AI is not your regular deep-tech startup. We are creating the next-generation AI platform to support anyone who wants to help advancing humanity and improve the world around us.

In just three years, we have raised a total of $120 million and have built a world-class team of 180+ employees (including 55+ PhDs with more than 40,000 citations), both remotely from 11 different countries and with offices in Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, the UK, headquartered at the High Tech Campus in Eindhoven, Netherlands.

As a Distinguished Engineer at Axelera AI, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the company’s AI and machine learning strategy with a long-term, industry-leading perspective. You will work cross-functionally to develop transformative AI technologies, influencing company-wide initiatives, and setting new standards for engineering excellence. Own and deliver company-wide AI and ML initiatives with multi-year, multi-team impact, ensuring scalability and adaptability beyond current business needs.

Provide thought leadership and influence Axelera AI’s strategic direction by engaging with senior leadership, external partners, and industry consortiums.

Spearhead engineering best practices, setting a high standard for system architecture, code quality, and team processes.

Actively contribute to hiring, mentoring, and coaching senior engineers, fostering a high-performance culture that attracts top talent.

Bridge the gap between technical capabilities and business needs by collaborating with product and business teams to define roadmaps and strategic opportunities.

Lead large-scale, high-impact projects with exceptional execution, managing ambiguity, tight deadlines, and evolving requirements.

Foster a strong engineering community within Axelera AI by championing hybrid/remote-first collaboration practices, inclusion, and diversity initiatives.

Partner with executive leadership to define a long-term vision for AI and ML at Axelera AI, ensuring alignment with both market demands and technical advancements.

Develop scalable solutions and frameworks that empower multiple teams, enabling efficient ML deployment across Axelera AI’s product ecosystem.

Model a standard of excellence, accountability, and leadership that inspires teams and influences company-wide culture and strategy.

PhD in Computer Science, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, or related fields.

• 10+ years of post-PhD experience in AI/ML research and development, with a track record of leading large-scale projects and driving impactful innovations outside of academia.
• Deep expertise in AI/ML frameworks, deep learning algorithms, and hardware-optimized machine learning.
• Experience managing and mentoring senior engineers, influencing company-wide technical direction, and driving engineering excellence.
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to influence executives, engineers, and external stakeholders.
• Work from one of our Axelera AI offices (Leuven in Belgium, Amsterdam and Eindhoven in the Netherlands, Zurich in Switzerland, Florence and Milan in Italy, Paris in France or Bristol in the United Kingdom) if you're already based in the vicinity.

Work fully remotely from any European country (incl. This is your chance to shape and be part of a dynamic, fast-growing, international organization. Collaborative ownership and freedom with responsibility is characteristic for the way we act and work as a team.

Our steadfast commitment is to cultivate a warm and inclusive environment that empowers and celebrates every member of our team.