Senior Software Engineer, Firmware

NVIDIA is hiring a Senior Software Engineer, Firmware in Santa Clara, United States. It pays $152k-$242k 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.
Level classifies it as a senior role.
Level lists 2,600+ other open roles at NVIDIA.
The role was posted in the last few days.

AI in this role

NVIDIA Networking Unit is looking for an experienced firmware/software engineer proficient in C and C++ programming to join our team that works on NVIDIA NIC/DPU/Switches. You will be responsible for designing and implementing new features for our core products in the networking area. If you're creative, responsible, hardworking, and autonomous, we want to hear from you!

What you’ll be doing:

Design and implement new features for NVIDIA NIC/DPU and Switch firmware.
Participate in implementing the new standards and protocols in data center management technologies, including work on pre-silicon features in simulator and emulator environments.
Develop verification tests for advanced features in a highly complex and sophisticated firmware testing environment, including writing verification tests for emulation and simulation.
Collaborate with chip development, board development, silicon, software, and program management teams to debug firmware and validation issues.
Work on the features starting from the pre-silicon stage and during the entire product life stages.

What we need to see:

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, or equivalent experience.
5+ years of hands-on experience in C/C++ firmware and software development (experience with embedded systems, binary network protocols).
Proficient in C/C++ and object-oriented programming.
English — Advanced Level.
High ability to learn new things, do research, and analysis of tasks.
Effective cross-team collaboration and communication, being a team-player, SCRUM-oriented.
Ability to inspect and improve the code, processes, and architecture of the existing systems, deliver high-quality code.
Excellent knowledge of development tools: build systems, version control systems (Git, Gerrit, GitLab), GitLab CI, Linux administration, and shell scripting (Bash, Python).

Ways to stand out from the crowd:

Strong expertise in networking: familiarity with NVIDIA's networking solutions, in-depth understanding of networking management protocols, network troubleshooting, ability to provide optimal solutions for complex, network-centric environments.
R&D mindset: ability to work in fast-paced, evolving environments with technologies. Skilled at collaborating cross-functionally with other teams and partnering with architects to anticipate, explore, and define edge cases in specifications, ensuring future-proof and scalable solutions.
Proficient in test automation and test case design: Strong ability to design comprehensive and efficient test cases, ensuring coverage of edge cases and critical scenarios. Experienced in developing and maintaining automated testing frameworks to validate functionality, performance, and reliability, streamlining the QA process and improving overall software quality.
Background with Ada programming language.
Familiarity with RTL and ability to read chip design documentation.

With competitive salaries and a generous benefits package, we are widely considered to be one of the technology world’s most desirable employers. We have some of the most forward-thinking and hardworking people in the world working for us and, due to unprecedented growth, our exclusive engineering teams are rapidly growing. If you're a creative and autonomous engineer with a real passion for technology, we want to hear from you.

Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and other objective job-related factors. The expected base salary ranges for this position are:
152,000 USD – 241,500 USD for Level 3; and 184,000 USD – 287,500 USD for Level 4.

You will also be eligible for equity and benefits.

Applications for this job will be accepted at least until November 6, 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 Software Engineer, Firmware at NVIDIA rates 17 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.