AI Software Engineer: Intelligent Data Infrastructure

NetApp, Inc.•Wichita, KS

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Mission: Power the Next Generation of AI We are standing at an inflection point. AI is transforming every industry, but beneath every breakthrough model lies a critical foundation that few see and even fewer master: the data infrastructure that makes intelligent systems possible. These positions require 3 days in office per week in one of the following offices: Boulder, CO or Pittsburgh, PA or Raleigh, NC or San Jose, CA. The Office of the Chief Platform and Technology Officer is assembling an elite team of AI Infrastructure Engineers to build the future of intelligent data systems. We don't just store data—we architect the substrate that powers AI factories, from GPU clusters running training workloads to real-time inference pipelines serving billions of requests. This is not a maintenance role. This is a creation role. You will design the systems that enable enterprises to deploy AI at an unprecedented scale, leveraging NetApp's new AI Data Engine (AIDE) and AFX disaggregated storage architecture. The Opportunity: Shape what comes next and oin us to solve challenges that exist at the absolute frontier of computer science. Build AI-Native Infrastructure Lead the architecture of next-generation storage systems optimized for AI workloads. Design high-performance data pipelines for massive-scale model training, implement intelligent caching for KV stores, and optimize data planes for GPU clusters. Your work will directly accelerate how quickly organizations can move from data to deployed intelligence. Pioneer Forward-Looking Research Work at the intersection of distributed systems, AI, and storage. Investigate novel approaches to scalable AI inferencing systems, semantic data discovery, and data curation systems. Turn proof-of-concepts into production systems that redefine industry standards. Amplify Your Impact with AI We don't just build AI—we use it. Leverage Cursor, Claude Code, and emerging AI development tools to accelerate your workflow, automate repetitive tasks, and focus on solving problems that matter. You'll operate at the cutting edge of "vibe coding" while maintaining the rigor of production-grade engineering. You are a generalist with depth—someone who moves fluidly between AI technologies and distributed system architectures, who gets energy from ambiguous problems, and who possesses what we call "fearless curiosity". You thrive when: Ownership is total: You own problems end-to-end, from architecture to production operations, and take pride in systems that run flawlessly at scale Change is constant: You view rapid technological shifts as opportunities to add structure and clarity, not as obstacles Learning is relentless: You have a rich life of "side quests"—self-driven projects that demonstrate your curiosity beyond your day job. AI is a multiplier: You view AI coding assistants and generative tools as force multipliers that let you tackle complexity that was previously impossible

Requirements

Deep systems expertise: Mastery of Golang, Python, and C/C++, with an intuitive understanding of file systems, advanced data structures, and algorithms. You understand that storage isn't just about bits on disk—it's about enabling the next wave of intelligent applications
AI infrastructure fluency: Deep knowledge of AI Infra: Kubernetes, operating systems, Storage systems and distributed systems.
Quantitative intuition: The ability to build simplified performance models, identify bottlenecks through deep analysis, and design for scalability from first principles
Growth mindset: For yourself, your team, and the organization. You balance optimism with realism, make smart bets, and understand that some experiments will fail fast while others will drive the company forward
8+ years of software development experience with a focus on systems, infrastructure, or storage technologies
Expert-level proficiency in Golang, Python, and C/C++
Deep understanding of Linux kernel development, file systems, and distributed systems
Experience with performance analysis, optimization techniques, and building quantitative models
Familiarity with AI/ML infrastructure concepts: GPU computing, model serving, data pipelines, vector databases
Bold Ideas, Grounded Execution: You dream big but ship with precision
Relentless Curiosity: An insatiable desire to understand how things work and how to make them better
Collaborative Excellence: You elevate everyone around you through mentorship, knowledge sharing, and constructive feedback
AI Fluency: Confidence in using AI tools to accelerate all aspects of your work

Nice To Haves

Building or optimizing storage systems for AI/ML workloads
Working with high-performance computing (HPC) environments or GPU clusters
Knowledge of network protocols, RDMA, and high-speed interconnects
Experience with agile methodologies and rapid prototyping

Responsibilities

Lead the architecture of next-generation storage systems optimized for AI workloads.
Design high-performance data pipelines for massive-scale model training, implement intelligent caching for KV stores, and optimize data planes for GPU clusters.
Investigate novel approaches to scalable AI inferencing systems, semantic data discovery, and data curation systems.
Turn proof-of-concepts into production systems that redefine industry standards.
Design storage and networking systems that connect structured and unstructured data to LLMs with unprecedented performance, enabling real-time inference and massive-scale training
Build the next generation of ONTAP capabilities, focusing on AI-specific optimizations like vector store integration, semantic search, and automated data curation
Develop systems capable of TB/s throughput and EB-scale data management, supporting the world's most demanding AI factories
Pioneer internal tooling and workflows that use AI to accelerate development, from automated code review to intelligent debugging systems
Partner with hardware engineers, product managers, and researchers to deliver groundbreaking intelligent storage solutions that power everything from autonomous vehicles to pharmaceutical discovery