Senior System Software Engineer - AV Platform

NVIDIA is hiring a Senior System Software Engineer - AV Platform 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

Level rates this software engineer role Little AI ●○○○: aI is not part of the work.
The listed pay starts 10% above the typical software engineer posting on Level.
Tools and skills the posting cites include Gemini, Copilot and Cursor.
Level classifies it as a senior role.
Level lists 2,800+ other open roles at NVIDIA.

AI in this role

GeminiCopilotCursor

The Autonomous Vehicles System Software Team is looking for a hands-on System Software Engineer. As part of our team, you will work on our Autonomous Driving Platform software, implementing performant and scalable solutions for data collections and autonomous vehicle fleets. Our team is responsible for developing platform and middleware features for self-driving cars. This includes software that interacts with various sensors including Cameras, LIDAR, RADAR, GPS, IMU, Vehicle CAN etc. We are seeking candidates with interests in inventing, developing, and maintaining application framework and tools on multi-computer and heterogeneous architectures. The role encompasses working with various teams across the stack, from platform and embedded software to cloud infrastructure, underpinned by safety and performance. It extends an opportunity to contribute to the technology that will drive the cars of the future!

What you will be doing:

Designing and developing core components of NVIDIA DriveWorks SDK.
Developing and optimizing software architecture and frameworks for real-world performance while matching or exceeding customer requirements.
Working on areas such as sensor abstraction layers, data processing components, process scheduling, data serialization, network communications, and frameworks.
Performing in-vehicle tests, collecting data and completing autonomous drive missions.
Establishing unit tests, documentation for features, evaluating quality and proposing corrective actions.
Developing highly efficient production code in C++, making use of high algorithmic parallelism offered by GPGPU programming (CUDA). Follow quality and safety standards such as defined by MISRA and AUTOSAR.

What we need to see:

BS or MS in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related engineering field (or equivalent experience).
8+ years of professional experience working on autonomous vehicles software.
Excellent C and C++ programming skills.
Strong knowledge of programming and debugging techniques, especially for parallel and distributed architectures.
Proficient with AI-powered coding tools like Cursor, Copilot, Gemini, etc.
Strong background of Linux, QNX, and/or other real-time operating systems.
Thrive on writing low latency, highly performant code.
Great communication and analytical skills.

Ways to stand out from the crowd:

Experience with data-parallel and/or GPGPU programming, CUDA, OpenCL.
Knowledge of image processing APIs (e.g. OpenCV) and MATLAB tools.
Knowledge of automotive systems, notably ADAS applications.
Software development for modern OpenGL (Core Profile) and Linux.
Experience with version control systems GIT and build system Bazel.

#AutonomousVehicles

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:
184,000 USD – 287,500 USD for Level 4; and 224,000 USD – 356,500 USD for Level 5.

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 System Software Engineer - AV Platform at NVIDIA rates 4 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.

Key facts

Senior System Software Engineer - AV Platform is an open job at NVIDIA.
Level rates this role AI Level 1 of 4: Little AI.
The listed salary is $184k-$288k a year.
The role is based in US, CA, Santa Clara.
The job was posted on September 22, 2026.
Seniority: senior.
Applications are handled by NVIDIA. Apply on NVIDIA

Prepare for this job

Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.

Skills and AI tools this role asks for

GeminiCopilotCursor

Also common in software engineer jobs at this level

Python Java AWS Kubernetes TypeScript React

Pay

This job starts at: $184k
Typical software engineer job: $167k

This posting starts 10% above the typical software engineer job. See software engineer jobs

Questions you could be asked

What's a project where you used Gemini hands-on?
Walk me through how you've used Copilot in your day-to-day work.
What are the limits of Cursor that you've run into, and how did you work around them?

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List these exact terms on your resume: Gemini, Copilot, and Cursor. An applicant tracking system matches the wording, not the idea.
Attach one line of real, concrete experience to at least one of them. A tool named with nothing behind it rarely survives a human read.

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