About Atomic Semi
Atomic Semi is building a small, fast semiconductor fab.
It’s already possible to build this with today’s technology and a few simplifications. We’ll build the tools ourselves so we can quickly iterate and improve.
We’re building a small team of exceptional, hands-on engineers to make this happen. Mechanical, electrical, hardware, computer, and process. We’ll own the stack from atoms to architecture. Our team is optimistic about the future and we want to continue pushing the limits of technology.
Smaller is better. Faster is better. Building it ourselves is better.
We believe our team and lab can build anything. We’ve set up 3D printers, a wide array of microscopes, e-beam writers, general fabrication equipment - and whatever is missing, we’ll just invent along the way.
Atomic was founded by Sam Zeloof and Jim Keller. Sam is best known for making chips in his garage, and Jim has been a leader in the semiconductor industry for the past 40 years.
About the Role
We are seeking an Infrastructure and Site Reliability Intern for the Summer term. The internship begins in May or June, preferably for a 4 to 8-month commitment. You will design, build, deploy, and manage the on-prem backend infrastructure that powers our small, fast semiconductor fab.
This is a broad role encompassing all aspects of backend infrastructure and services.
Our philosophy towards infra is minimal, understandable, on-site, and close to the hardware. You won’t find much docker, cloud services, or kubernetes. Instead, there is a lot of bare-metal linux, systemd, and single file binaries. You’ll see a lot of rust and go and occasionally some python.
What matters most is that you’ve already built real things, you love getting close to the metal, and show strong signs of engineering excellence. If you’re excited by performance engineering, building complex features from scratch, and learning new domains quickly, this is a great place for you.
A portfolio or GitHub is generally required to apply: show us the things you’ve built! For us, a good portfolio includes evidence of strong engineering skills and curiosity.
Responsibilities
Build and evolve our infrastructure-as-code tooling to manage complex, multi-environment deployments
Help manage and maintain our fleet of on-premises servers, ensuring high availability and optimal resource utilization
Monitor and maintain system performance and health across diverse production workloads
Design, implement, and refine alerting systems to catch issues before they impact users
Build automation to reduce toil and improve operational efficiency
Implement secure secret management
Debug production issues across the stack
Work closely with engineering teams to understand their infrastructure needs and deliver robust, scalable solutions
Required Experience
Pursuing a BS in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or demonstrated exceptional skill in software engineering
Strong programming skills in Rust, Go, or other systems-oriented languages
Solid understanding of Linux systems, networking fundamentals, and distributed systems concepts
Experience building or maintaining non-trivial infrastructure, automation, or tooling projects (personal, academic, or professional)
Interest in one or more of the following areas: systems reliability, observability, infrastructure automation, performance optimization
Nice-to-have
Experience with configuration management or fleet management at scale
Background in monitoring and observability tools (Prometheus, Grafana, ELK stack, Datadog)
Familiarity with performance profiling and capacity planning
Experience with database administration, backup strategies, or disaster recovery
Exposure to secret management systems (Vault, SOPS) or PKI
Working at Atomic Semi
We’re an early-stage hardware startup with solid funding, world-class advisors, and a lab/office in San Francisco, CA. Atomic Semi is committed to fair and equitable compensation practices. Software Interns are paid an hourly rate equivalent to an annualized range of $110,000-132,000, depending on experience and education level. This range assumes a 40-hour workweek and includes up to 10 hours of pre-approved weekly overtime, paid at 1.5x the base hourly rate. Actual earnings will vary depending on internship length and hours worked.
Internship Benefits:
Housing Stipend to help with first month expenses
Lunches daily, Dinners 3x per week, Stocked Office Kitchen with Snacks and Spindrifts
Weekly Learning & Development opportunities
Commuter Benefits including Parking and Late Night Uber rides from the office
Paid Time Off inclusive of Holidays and Sick Time
Visa Sponsorship
Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
401(k) retirement plan
Life and Disability Insurance
We are an equal-opportunity employer and do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability or other legally protected statuses.
Export Control Analysis: This position involves access to technology that is subject to U.S. export controls. Any job offer made will be contingent upon the applicant’s capacity to serve in compliance with U.S. export controls.
Top Skills
What We Do
Atomic Semi is building a small, fast semiconductor fab. We’ll build the tools ourselves then quickly push them to more advanced geometries. We’re building a small team of exceptional, hands-on engineers to make this happen.
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