Used Tools & Technologies
Machine LearningRequired Skills & Competences
Tag name is followed by "@" symbol and proficiency level value.
About proficiency levels:
- 1-2 — basic awareness. Minimal hands-on experience, and a rudimentary understanding of the technology's purpose;
- 3-6 — daily use. Comfortable and regular usage, capable of handling common tasks and challenges related to the technology;
- 7-9 — you are an expert, you can teach others, you know all the pitfalls and tricks;
- 10 — exceptional knowledge, comprehensive understanding, and adeptness in all aspects of the technology, including advanced problem-solving. Think twice before claiming or demanding such level.
Software Development @ 4
Linux @ 4
Python @ 7
Leadership @ 4
Communication @ 7
Networking @ 4
Performance Optimization @ 4
Debugging @ 4
Technical Leadership @ 4
System Architecture @ 4
GPU @ 4
AI @ 4
Profiling @ 4
Performance Analysis @ 7
- 1-2 — basic awareness. Minimal hands-on experience, and a rudimentary understanding of the technology's purpose;
- 3-6 — daily use. Comfortable and regular usage, capable of handling common tasks and challenges related to the technology;
- 7-9 — you are an expert, you can teach others, you know all the pitfalls and tricks;
- 10 — exceptional knowledge, comprehensive understanding, and adeptness in all aspects of the technology, including advanced problem-solving. Think twice before claiming or demanding such level.
Details
NVIDIA is seeking a highly motivated Principal System Software Engineer to drive next-generation innovations in automotive platform software, system architecture, and performance engineering. In this highly visible technical leadership role, you will contribute directly to the architecture, development, optimization, and scaling of foundational software technologies powering NVIDIA automotive compute platforms.
You will work closely with hardware, architecture, kernel, AI, middleware, and platform teams to deliver high-performance, scalable, and safety-critical system software solutions. This role requires deep technical expertise, substantial proven hands-on engineering experience, and the ability to solve complex system-level challenges across the software stack.
Responsibilities
- Drive system software architecture and technical direction for next-generation automotive compute platforms.
- Lead performance optimization initiatives across CPU, GPU, memory, storage, networking, and platform subsystems.
- Design, develop, debug, and optimize low-level system software including kernel, drivers, middleware, runtime frameworks, and platform services.
- Collaborate closely with silicon, firmware, AI, and platform architecture teams to deliver optimized end-to-end solutions.
- Analyze complex system bottlenecks and develop scalable solutions to improve performance, reliability, determinism, and efficiency.
- Drive software bring-up, profiling, debugging, and performance tuning for new automotive platforms.
- Contribute hands-on to critical software development, architecture reviews, debugging, and system optimization efforts.
- Mentor engineers and help drive a culture of technical excellence, innovation, and execution.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).
- 15+ years of substantial hands-on experience in systems software, embedded systems, platform software, kernel development, or performance engineering.
- Deep expertise in Linux system internals, kernel architecture, device drivers, and low-level system software development.
- Strong programming skills in C/C++ with experience in Python or scripting languages.
- Proven experience debugging and optimizing complex distributed or heterogeneous computing systems.
- Strong background in performance analysis and optimization across CPU, GPU, memory, storage, and interconnect subsystems.
- Experience with embedded Linux, RTOS, virtualization technologies, or multi-core system architectures.
- Demonstrated ability to lead technically while remaining deeply hands-on in development, debugging, and architecture activities.
- Experience collaborating across hardware and software organizations in highly matrixed environments.
- Strong communication, problem-solving, and technical leadership skills.
Preferred / Ways to Stand Out
- Experience with automotive software platforms, ADAS, or autonomous driving systems.
- Familiarity with ISO 26262, AUTOSAR, ASPICE, or automotive cybersecurity frameworks.
- Experience with GPU-accelerated computing and AI/ML software platforms.
- Contributions to Linux kernel, open-source systems software, or performance tooling.
- Experience building scalable software architectures for centralized vehicle compute platforms.
Compensation & Benefits
- Base salary range: 272,000 USD - 431,250 USD (determined based on location, experience, and pay of employees in similar positions).
- Eligible for equity and benefits (link to NVIDIA benefits provided in original posting).
Other
- Applications accepted at least until May 31, 2026. This posting is for an existing vacancy.
- NVIDIA uses AI tools in its recruiting processes.
- NVIDIA is an equal opportunity employer and states nondiscrimination and inclusion commitments.