Staff Infrastructure Engineer

About Pallon

At Pallon, a spin-off from ETH Zurich, we’re creating AI that automatically detects defects in sewer inspection videos and advises cities on when & how to fix them. By providing more precise, objective data, we aim to fix wastewater leaks, reduce CO2 emissions, and prevent urban flooding. Our mission is to make cities more sustainable and resilient.
We have a product-market fit and over 200 paying customers who love our platform and services. Join us now to be part of scaling our industry-changing product!

Your Team & Mission

You will join our engineering organization to be the architect and primary decision-maker for our entire infrastructure, from our high-density compute cluster to our cloud environment. Your core mission is to ensure that our software engineers can work efficiently and cost-effectively, while guaranteeing that our customers' data remains safe and secure, building trust with municipalities and enterprises. This is a hands-on technical role; it does not involve people management.

This role is distinct from a Software Engineer, focusing not on product features, but on the foundation that enables them. You will be engaged in end-to-end infrastructure project work, from strategic planning to implementation and ongoing maintenance. In this role, you can expect to:

• Maintain our cutting-Edge GPU Cluster: Help maintain our powerful GPU cluster, optimizing it for maximum deep learning and computer vision performance.

• Own All Cloud Infrastructure Decisions: Act as the architect and decision-maker for our entire cloud infrastructure..

• Ensure Operational Excellence: Maintain high availability, security, and performance of our production systems and data pipelines.

• Partner with Engineering Teams: Work directly with the computer vision and platform teams to solve their infrastructure challenges, translating their needs into practical, efficient solutions.

• Roll Up Your Sleeves and Get Things Done: Handle everything from troubleshooting Kubernetes pod eviction issues and configuring custom systemd units to replacing faulty NVMe drives.

• Write & Review Code: Code in various languages to manage and develop our core infrastructure-as-code, data pipelines, and internal tools.

Our Tech Stack

Note: we do not require experience in these exact technologies.

• HPC Cluster: Linux, Nvidia GPUs, Slurm, Infiniband

• Cloud: Google Cloud Platform, Kubernetes, Docker, Gitlab CI/CD

• Data Analytics: DBT, BigQuery, Metabase

• Database: Postgres

• Programming Languages: TypeScript, Python

Your Background

You will be successful if:

• You have a proven track record (5+ years) of not just implementing, but architecting and deciding on infrastructure solutions, ideally in startup environments.

• You possess a deep understanding of all levels of the stack, including Linux system administration, cloud infrastructure (container orchestration, infrastructure-as-code), and hardware (server architecture, networking, storage systems).

• You are a broad, versatile engineer who is a quick and eager learner, ready to adapt to new technologies and challenges, and preferring to apply generalist skills over a deep specialization.

• You have a strong understanding of security best practices, especially concerning cloud environments and data compliance (e.g., in a regulated or B2B/Enterprise context).

• You are highly independent and excel at prioritizing your own work, seeking help when needed.

• You communicate clearly and effectively with engineering teams.

• You have a university degree in Computer Science or a related field.

• [Bonus] You have experience with high-performance computing (HPC) environments or machine learning infrastructure.

• [Bonus] You have experience with data engineering and ETL pipelines.

Benefits & Team Culture

As a part of Pallon, you will:

• Contribute to a positive impact on society and the environment.

• Develop a novel product that changes a whole industry.

• Be part of a motivated, smart, fun, and supportive team of software engineers and AI researchers.

• Own a part of Pallon and have a part in our success with our Employee Stock Option Plan (ESOP).

• Work for the Underworld, not the Devil: exploring sewers virtually and in real life during our Pallon offsites.

• Work from home or enjoy access to our beautiful office space located in Zürich.

Learn more about our Engineering team here

At Pallon, we highly value equality of opportunity and inclusivity, and we would like to particularly encourage women and candidates from under-represented backgrounds to apply, even if you don’t match with 100% of the requirements.