Software Development Engineer, SoC HAL

Amazon is hiring a Software Development Engineer, SoC HAL in Cupertino, United States. It pays $148k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on Amazon.

Level's read on this job

Level rates this software engineer role Little AI ●○○○: aI is not part of the work.
The posting mentions C, Pcie and Firmware among its tools and skills.
Level classes it as a mid-level role.
Amazon has 20,000+ other open roles on Level.
Posted in the last few days.

AI in this role

Implement and maintain Hardware Abstraction Layer and driver features for custom silicon supporting machine learning servers.

CPcieFirmware

Description

Annapurna Labs builds the custom silicon at the heart of AWS machine learning servers, and we are hiring a software engineer to help build the Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) that brings these chips to life. If you love working where hardware meets software, writing the code that boots, configures, and debugs some of the largest custom silicon in the world, this is your team.

As a Software Engineer on the SoC HAL team, you will write and test C++ for the driver stack across the hardware blocks that make up our chips, learn how the silicon works from the engineers who design it, and grow your skills on a small, fast-moving team inside a large organization. No machine learning background is required (you will pick up ML concepts from colleagues if you want to). This role is based in Cupertino, CA.

Key job responsibilities
Implement, test, and maintain HAL/driver features for individual hardware blocks (for example PCIe, DDR / HBM memory, DMA, system fabric, interrupt controllers, and boot / firmware), working from designs and interfaces set by more senior engineers.

Write clean, well-tested C++ and contribute to the team's test, code-review, and continuous-deployment practices.

Debug failures that span software and silicon, with support from the team, and build an understanding of how the HAL interacts with the hardware underneath it.

Learn the hardware/software interface by partnering with RTL and design verification engineers on well-scoped questions.

Provide feature additions and bug fixes on current and prior chips.

A day in the life
A typical day moves between writing and reviewing C++ for the HAL, pairing with a teammate on a tricky bug, and learning how a hardware block works from its spec or from the engineer who designed it. You might add a feature to a driver, write tests for it, and work through code-review feedback, then dig into a failure that spans software and silicon. Your teammates are the HAL engineers you build alongside; the hardware design, verification, and firmware teams are close partners you will learn from; and your customers are the internal software teams that rely on the HAL to boot, configure, and debug the chip.

About the team
Annapurna Labs designs and deploys some of the largest custom silicon in the world, including the Trainium and Inferentia machine learning accelerators. Our SoC HAL team builds the low-level software that boots, configures, and manages these chips, sitting between the hardware and the system software that runs the server. We are a small team that works closely with hardware, holds a high engineering bar, and invests in helping engineers grow. Based in Cupertino, CA, we value mentorship, clear written design, and software that outlasts any single chip.

Basic qualifications

- Knowledge of programming languages such as C/C++, Python, Java or Perl
- Experience (non-internship) in professional software development, or currently enrolled in or recently completed a Bachelor's or Master's degree in computer science or a related field
- Experience with data structures, algorithms, and software design fundamentals

Preferred qualifications

- Bachelor's degree or above in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or related fields at time of application
- Coursework, internship, or project experience in computer architecture or operating systems
- Experience with C or C++ and object-oriented design
- Exposure to low-level, embedded, or hardware-adjacent programming
- Familiarity with testing, debugging, source control, and build processes in a team setting

Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status.

Los Angeles County applicants: Job duties for this position include: work safely and cooperatively with other employees, supervisors, and staff; adhere to standards of excellence despite stressful conditions; communicate effectively and respectfully with employees, supervisors, and staff to ensure exceptional customer service; and follow all federal, state, and local laws and Company policies. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness and professionalism, and safeguard business operations and the Company’s reputation. Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner.

The starting pay for this position is listed below. Starting Day 1 of employment, Amazon offers EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, 401(k) matching. Learn more about our benefits at https://hiring.amazon.com/why-amazon/benefits.

Cupertino, CA, USA - 148,400.00 USD Annually

How we rate this

Software Development Engineer, SoC HAL at Amazon rates 10 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

Software Development Engineer, SoC HAL is an open job at Amazon.
Level rates this role AI Level 1 of 4: Little AI.
The listed salary is $148k a year.
The role is based in US, CA, Cupertino.
The job was posted on November 6, 2026.
Seniority: mid.
Applications are handled by Amazon. Apply on Amazon

Prepare for this job

Built from this posting and from similar jobs on Level.

Skills and AI tools this role asks for

CPcieFirmware

Also common in software engineer jobs at this level

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Pay

This job starts at: $148k
Typical software engineer job: $167k

This posting starts 11% below the typical software engineer job. See software engineer jobs

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

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