Senior Principal Software Engineer, Core Infrastructure

Oracle•Santa Clara, CA

About The Position

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) is seeking a Senior Principal Software Engineer to build a new Data Processing Unit (DPU) platform spanning networking and storage. The role addresses system-level questions such as host-versus-DPU responsibilities, predictable tail latency under mixed workloads, and correct behavior across offload transitions, failures, and upgrades. The engineer will own a major subsystem spanning components and teams, such as a storage I/O pipeline, packet processing pipeline, host-to-DPU data path, or infrastructure acceleration subsystem. They will define architectural boundaries, align component owners, and remain accountable for integration and subsystem outcomes. The role suits engineers with deep expertise in either storage data paths or networking data paths and working familiarity with the complementary domain. The engineer will turn ambiguous requirements into architecture, component contracts, and phased delivery plans; evaluate host, DPU software, firmware, and hardware partitioning; validate choices through prototypes and representative workloads; and lead delivery across component owners while remaining hands-on with critical implementation and debugging. The engineer will establish end-to-end performance expectations, resolve cross-component bottlenecks, and work across storage and networking teams on I/O processing, transport, ordering, buffering, backpressure, and recovery tradeoffs. They will lead subsystem qualification and readiness reviews, establish compatible interfaces and observability, address fault isolation and safe upgrade behavior, mentor component owners, and guide accountable, validated use of AI in engineering work. Success means establishing a coherent subsystem architecture, aligning component owners, delivering integration with measured end-to-end results, resolving systemic risks early, and strengthening the technical judgment of other engineers. Oracle describes the opportunity as a chance to influence foundational architecture while remaining deeply involved in engineering, working with networking, storage, and hardware partners. The U.S. hiring range is $136,500 to $306,400 per annum. The role may be eligible for bonus, equity, and compensation deferral. Oracle notes that salary placement depends on factors including knowledge, skills, experience, market conditions, location, and internal peer equity. U.S.-based employees must complete identity verification involving collection and processing of biometric information; accommodations may be granted following an individualized assessment. Certain U.S.-based or customer-facing roles may also be subject to applicable immunization, occupational health, or drug-testing requirements.

Requirements

At least 10 years of professional software engineering experience in systems or infrastructure software, including substantial hands-on experience building high-performance storage data paths or networking data paths.
Demonstrated technical ownership of a major subsystem spanning multiple components and engineering teams, from ambiguous requirements through production integration.
Deep expertise in either storage data path architecture, implementation, and optimization, or networking data path architecture, implementation, and optimization. Relevant experience may include storage I/O pipelines, block storage or storage transport, or high-performance packet processing and network virtualization.
Strong hands-on C or C++ expertise and deep knowledge of Linux, synchronization, memory management, multicore architectures, and performance analysis.
Working familiarity with the complementary domain: networking fundamentals and transport behavior for storage specialists, or storage I/O architecture and behavior for networking specialists.
Ability to evaluate cross-domain performance and failure interactions with partner engineers.
Experience defining component boundaries and contracts, establishing performance budgets, and resolving cross-component correctness and reliability issues.
A record of driving technical alignment and delivery across teams while remaining actively involved in implementation and difficult debugging.
Ability to explain complex architectural decisions and develop other engineers into effective component owners.
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related discipline, or equivalent practical experience.

Nice To Haves

Experience with DPU architecture, including DPUs, SmartNICs, AMD Pensando, NVIDIA BlueField/DOCA, P4, or comparable technologies, and software, firmware, and hardware interface design.
Architecture or substantial extension of DPDK-based systems or comparable user-space packet-processing frameworks.
Storage I/O pipeline design or optimization, block storage, NVMe, NVMe over Fabrics, RDMA, or storage virtualization.
Hardware co-design, PCIe, DMA, SR-IOV, IOMMU, zero-copy techniques, fleet qualification, failure recovery, or upgrade compatibility.

Responsibilities

Own subsystem architecture and outcomes, turning ambiguous system requirements into architecture, component contracts, and phased delivery plans.
Establish decision authority and resolve tradeoffs that individual component owners cannot settle independently.
Evaluate host, DPU software, firmware, and hardware partitioning, and validate choices about queueing, memory ownership, acceleration, and recovery using prototypes and representative workloads.
Lead delivery across component owners by decomposing subsystem work, aligning technical dependencies, and resolving integration risks across teams.
Guide implementation through other engineers while personally implementing or debugging critical paths.
Set subsystem budgets and targets for throughput, tail latency, resource efficiency, and relevant storage I/O or packet-processing metrics; resolve bottlenecks spanning component boundaries.
Work across storage and networking teams to evaluate I/O processing, transport, ordering, buffering, backpressure, and recovery tradeoffs, ensuring local optimizations preserve end-to-end performance, availability, and data integrity.
Lead subsystem qualification and technical readiness reviews; establish compatible interfaces, observability, fault isolation, and safe upgrade behavior; resolve systemic risks during rollout and operation.
Mentor engineers in architectural judgment and systems debugging, establish shared engineering practices, and help component leaders make sound decisions independently.
Guide effective AI use across subsystem engineering work with validation and clear accountability; share approaches that improve quality and productivity, reduce repetitive debugging and documentation, and support employee well-being.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision insurance, including expert medical opinion.
Short-term and long-term disability insurance.
Life insurance and AD&D.
Supplemental life insurance for employees, spouses, and children.
Health care and dependent care Flexible Spending Accounts.
Pre-tax commuter and parking benefits.
401(k) Savings and Investment Plan with company match.
Paid time off through Flexible Vacation for eligible salaried employees or accrued vacation for other eligible employees; accrual varies by hours worked and tenure.
11 paid holidays.
72 hours of paid sick leave upon hire, refreshed annually, with unused balance carrying over up to a 112-hour cap.
Paid parental leave.
Adoption assistance.
Employee Stock Purchase Plan.
Financial planning and group legal benefits.
Voluntary benefits, including auto, homeowner, and pet insurance.
May be eligible for a bonus, equity, and compensation deferral.