Systems Validation Engineer

NVIDIA is hiring a Systems Validation Engineer in Santa Clara, United States. It pays $108k-$184k a year and Level rates it ; you can apply on NVIDIA.

Level's read on this job

On Level's scale, this role is Little AI ●○○○: aI is not part of the work.
Level classes it as a mid-level role.
NVIDIA has 2,700+ other open roles on Level.

AI in this role

Our technology has no boundaries! Nvidia is building the world’s most groundbreaking and state of the art compute platforms for the world to use. It’s because of our work that scientists, researchers and engineers can advance their ideas. At its core, our visual computing technology not only enables an amazing computing experience, but it is also energy efficient! We pioneered a supercharged form of computing loved by the most demanding computer users in the world - scientists, designers, artists, and gamers. It’s not just technology though! It is our people, some of the brightest in the world, and our diverse company culture make NVIDIA one of the most fun, innovative and dynamic places to work in the world! At the center of NVIDIA's culture are our core values like innovation, excellence and determination and team, that guide us to be the best we can be.

We are looking for a Systems Validation Engineer in the Datacenter Systems Engineering team. You'll work closely with board designers, Silicon Solutions and AE teams to validate and characterize system's power management controllers of NVIDIA's datacenter modules. The ideal candidates are self motivated, very comfortable in a lab environment and demonstrate a passion towards product system level validation. They should have strong debug/circuit analysis fundamentals as well as automation and scripting experience. They must be capable of growing in fast paced environment with evolving product definitions.

What you’ll be doing:

Develop and execute validation test plans for server platforms and modules
Perform electrical and functional validation of key interfaces and components, including power sensors, MCUs, I2C, SPI, SMBus, and PCIe.
Diagnose and resolve system issues during NPI builds to ensure timely and successful product launches
Debug and root cause hardware, firmware, and interoperability issues
Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to root cause and resolve hardware and software issues.

What we need to see:

BSEE/BSCE or equivalent experience
3+ years of hands-on hardware/software debug experience.
Demonstrates a strong ability to quickly learn new technologies and independently seek out information to solve complex hardware validation challenges.
Strong capability to debug and root cause challenging system issues involving board-level failures, signal integrity, component-level problems, and firmware behavior.
Lab experience with board bring-up, hardware debug, and use of tools like logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, and multimeters
Strong understanding of digital design, circuit design analysis and computer architecture.

Ways to stand out from the crowd:

Solid grasp of low-level system architecture, digital circuit design, and high-speed bus protocols (PCIe, USB, NVMe), with a clear understanding of how hardware integrates with firmware and software stacks
Lead hands-on debugging and root cause analysis across hardware and firmware layers to drive rapid issue resolution and product quality improvements.
Hands-on experience in system-level power management validation for CPU and GPU products

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:
108,000 USD – 184,000 USD for Level 2; and 136,000 USD – 212,750 USD for Level 3.

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

Systems Validation Engineer at NVIDIA rates 24 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.