Senior Software Engineer, Chips System Software

NVIDIA•Santa Clara, CA

3d•$184,000 - $356,500•Onsite

About The Position

NVIDIA is seeking a creative, highly motivated engineer with system software expertise to join its Chips System Software organization. The engineer will design, develop, and verify chip-specific kernel drivers and embedded software, focusing on Linux kernel development, core operating system enablement, chip and platform bring-up, and automation across pre-silicon and silicon platforms. The role works closely with hardware, silicon, pre-silicon, and software teams to enable next-generation chips from early modeling and simulation through production deployment. It calls for strong technical ownership and the ability to solve complex hardware and software integration challenges and drive projects end to end. This is an on-site position at NVIDIA's Santa Clara, California office; candidates are expected to work there and collaborate with local engineering teams. It is not remote.

Requirements

Bachelor's or master's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
At least 8 years of relevant software development experience.
Hands-on technical experience and demonstrated excellence in environments involving complex hardware and software designs.
Strong expertise in C programming, Linux kernel development, and core operating system software.
Experience developing and debugging Linux device drivers.
Strong background in complex system-level debugging and root cause analysis.
Familiarity with computer architecture fundamentals, including caches, buses, memory controllers, DMA, interrupts, and low-level hardware interactions.
Ability to independently drive projects from design through deployment with strong end-to-end ownership.

Nice To Haves

Deep expertise in Linux kernel internals, device drivers, and low-level system software, including enabling Linux on pre-silicon and silicon platforms.
Experience with Buildroot and Linux distributions.
Exceptional debugging and problem-solving skills in complex hardware and software integration environments.
Contributions to Linux kernel or other open-source software projects.
Demonstrated technical leadership through architecture, design, mentoring, or cross-functional project execution.

Responsibilities

Design, develop, and verify features for next-generation chip architectures in collaboration with hardware and software engineers.
Influence hardware architecture and system software design through architecture reviews, design specifications, and cross-functional collaboration.
Bring up new platforms, products, and prototype systems with hardware, silicon, and pre-silicon teams.
Enable Linux and core operating system software across simulation, emulation, FPGA, and silicon platforms.
Debug and resolve complex hardware and software integration issues across multiple layers of the software stack.