Senior Compute System Software Engineer

NVIDIA is hiring a Senior Compute System Software Engineer in Santa Clara, United States. It pays $184k-$288k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on NVIDIA.

Level's read on this job

On Level's scale, this software engineer role is Little AI ●○○○: aI is not part of the work.
Pay on this posting starts 10% higher than the typical software engineer posting on Level.
Level classes it as a senior role.
NVIDIA has 2,700+ other open roles on Level.

AI in this role

We are a very diverse and dynamic team with many responsibilities and opportunities! We work with sister software teams on developing features for upcoming generations of products. We engage partners on deploying new products, maintaining existing products, and developing requested improvements. We also work with hardware and architecture on the future direction of NVIDIA's product features. These responsibilities evolve over time, resulting in a rich engineering experience and career. As a Compute Systems Software Engineer at NVIDIA, you will work on the kernel drivers and embedded software for our Data Center products!

What you'll be doing:

Design software for next-generation compute GPU solutions.
Develop and maintain software technologies that enable and support NVIDIA GPU hardware across Linux and Windows operating systems, ensuring optimal performance and feature functionality.
Implement cross-platform software solutions that support new and evolving hardware architectures.
Collaborate with global internal teams across software, hardware, architecture, and OEM support.
Develop features for clock, thermal, and power management.
Build telemetry, device initialization, device management, and reset capabilities.
Implement memory-management solutions and performance optimizations for GPU platforms.
Contribute to embedded software development supporting GPU functionality and platform integration.

What we need to see:

Bachelor of Science or Master of Science degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience)
8+ years "hands on" experience developing low level device drivers, especially for the Linux OS
Strong software engineering skills combined with a drive to solve hard problems are a must.
Strong programming skills in C and C++
Detailed knowledge of operating system internals and various device driver models.
Low-level operating system knowledge (required)
Strong English written and oral communication skills to collaborate with other engineers (worldwide)
A self motivated, passionate and eager teammate with a strong desire to learn, grow and create
The candidate is expected to work independently with minimal direction.
Windows experience is a plus

Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and other objective job-related factors. The expected base salary range for this position is 184,000 USD – 287,500 USD.

You will also be eligible for equity and benefits.

Applications for this job will be accepted at least until November 3, 2026.

This posting is for an existing vacancy.

NVIDIA uses AI tools in its recruiting processes.

NVIDIA is committed to fostering an inclusive work environment and proud to be an equal opportunity employer. As we highly value diversity in our current and future employees, we do not discriminate (including in our hiring and promotion practices) on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability status or any other characteristic protected by law.

How we rate this

Senior Compute System Software Engineer at NVIDIA rates 32 out of 100 for how much of the daily work is AI. That makes it Little AI (AI Level 1 of 4). The level is about AI in the job, not seniority.

Classification

Little AI. AI is not part of the work.

●●●● Builds AI80 to 100
●●●○ Works on AI60 to 79
●●○○ Uses AI40 to 59
●○○○ Little AI0 to 39

Levels come from how often the tools, models and workflows of the role are named in the posting itself. Read the description and count the AI tools, models and workflows it names.