Senior Systems Software Engineer - Autonomous Vehicles

NVIDIA is hiring a Senior Systems Software Engineer - Autonomous Vehicles 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.
The listed pay starts 10% above the typical software engineer posting on Level.
Level classifies it as a senior role.
Level lists 2,600+ other open roles at NVIDIA.

AI in this role

Our ADAS Platform team is responsible for building a scalable and modular software stack that powers advanced driver-assistance systems across a diverse range of product lines and OEMs. We are looking for a highly motivated Senior Software Systems Engineer with a strong foundation in software architecture. This role is ideal for someone who thrives on working across multiple layers of the software stack to drive modularization, improve abstraction, and enable extensibility and reuse. You will play a key role in evolving the platform to support efficient integration and scalability in a complex multi-OEM environment.

What you will be doing:

Driving architectural improvements that simplify and modularize the software stack.
Designing clean boundaries between NVIDIA core components and OEM-specific implementations.
Refactoring ADAS components to support reuse, extensibility, and long-term maintainability.
Improving system-level scalability through IPC, middleware, and platform abstraction layers.
Partnering with teams across software, systems, and hardware to define clear interfaces and improve integration velocity.
Establishing test coverage, design reviews, and architectural documentation that scales with the platform.
Profiling and tuning system performance — optimizing for modern multi-core and real-time environments.

What we need to see:

BS or MS in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
8+ years of professional software development experience.
Solid background in C and C++ programming.
Strong understanding of modular software architecture, clean code design, and separation of concerns.
Hands-on experience building and debugging multithreaded, real-time, or performance-critical systems.
Familiarity with parallel/distributed systems and low-level system profiling.
Comfortable working in Linux, QNX, or other embedded RTOS environments.
Exceptional communication skills and a collaborative, hard-working attitude.

Ways to Stand Out From The Crowd:

Experience developing ADAS software.
Deep understanding of real-time operating systems, particularly QNX.
Familiarity with the automotive software lifecycle and integration across safety-critical systems.
Experience using Git and Bazel in large-scale software environments.
Ability to work across system, hardware, and algorithm teams with precision and clarity.

#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 Systems Software Engineer - Autonomous Vehicles at NVIDIA rates 16 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 Systems Software Engineer - Autonomous Vehicles 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 August 29, 2026.
Seniority: senior.
Applications are handled by NVIDIA. Apply on NVIDIA