Principal Performance Architect - ONTAP

NetApp; San Jose (CA); Hybrid; USD 228,000 - 339,000; Full time

Job summary

NetApp in California seeks a Performance Architect to lead the ONTAP performance team across hardware and software projects. You will drive performance direction, analyze workloads, and shape AI benchmark strategy, including MLPerf Storage submissions.

You will collaborate with architects and engineers, optimize for Generative and Agentic AI workloads, and work with GPU partners on high-performance data paths such as GPUDirect Storage and RDMA.

Qualifications

• In-depth knowledge of technology trends, architecture differentiation, competitive positioning, and workload optimizations.
• Hands-on experience with AI/ML benchmarks and frameworks and an understanding of how AI training and inference stress storage (throughput, metadata, small random reads, checkpoint write bursts)
• Familiarity with GPU server architectures and high-performance data paths: RDMA, NVMe-oF, GPUDirect Storage, parallel file access
• Extensive knowledge and experience in computer operating systems, computer architecture and design, data structures, software design and programming practices; systems programming in C and/or C++
• Strong scripting skills – Perl, Python (primarily within JupyterHub), and Shell
• Knowledge of storage systems and file systems highly desirable
• Experience publishing benchmark results or taking part in industry groups (e.g., MLCommons, SPEC) a plus
• Exceptional presentation and influencing skills
• The ability to make accurate work estimates and develop predictable plans
• Demonstrated willingness to take on additional tasks and responsibilities that positively contribute to realization of team, department, and company goals

Responsibilities

• Evaluate and propose key architecture options to drive performance
• Evaluate ONTAP competitiveness and drive differentiation with a performance focus, including against competitors’ published AI benchmark results
• Optimize ONTAP performance for Generative and Agentic AI workloads across the AI data pipeline: data ingest and preparation, training, checkpointing, inference, KV-cache, and RAG/vector search
• Own ONTAP’s AI benchmark program: plan, run, and publish industry benchmark submissions (e.g., MLPerf Storage, SPECstorage AI_IMAGE) that show competitive leadership
• Define AI benchmark methods and workload models (e.g., checkpoint/restore patterns, inference traces) that turn real customer AI pipelines into tests anyone can repeat
• Work with GPU and AI‑ecosystem partners on reference architectures, certifications, and high-performance data paths (GPUDirect Storage, RDMA, NFS over RDMA, pNFS)
• Work closely with engineering and product management to drive the performance agenda
• Evaluate design alternatives for enhanced performance, and prototype opportunities for performance enhancements
• Design, implement, execute, analyze, interpret, socialize and apply storage-oriented performance measurements and their results, including the creation of tools and automation for running AI benchmarks at GPU‑cluster scale
• Turn benchmark results into technical reports, competitive briefs, and conference talks for product marketing and field teams

Skills

AI/ML benchmarks

GPU server architectures

Operating systems & architectures

C/C++ programming

Scripting: Perl, Python, Shell

Benchmark publication experience

Presentation & influencing skills

Work estimates & planning

Education

Bachelor/Master/PhD in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science

Tools

GPUDirect Storage

RDMA

NFS over RDMA

pNFS

MLPerf Storage

SPECstorage AI_IMAGE

JupyterHub

Job description

Own Every Moment at NetApp

At NetApp, your ideas power innovation. We lead in intelligent data infrastructure—delivering unified storage, integrated data services, and solutions that help organizations unlock the full potential of their data, from AI to multicloud.

Ready to innovate and contribute to our path to $10B? Here, you'll collaborate with passionate teams, tackle real-world challenges, and see your impact in how customers transform and grow. If you're ready to bring curiosity, creativity, and drive to every moment, NetApp is where your journey begins. Join teams that innovate to elevate, drive results, and excel together across every function.

Job Summary

As a Performance Architect, you will lead the ONTAP performance team for the various hardware and software projects for ONTAP releases. You will work closely with architects across various engineering development teams to drive performance agenda, establish performance direction, guide performance team’s technical work across all projects. You will have the opportunity to directly impact the roadmaps of all hardware and software groups. You will be able to drive the analysis, benchmarking, and optimization of emerging workloads to capitalize on industry trends including Generative and Agentic AI, and lead ONTAP’s AI benchmark strategy, including industry-standard submissions such as MLPerf Storage. This role is within the Research and Development function whose overall focus is on technology advances, competitive market and customer workload requirements, product cost and time‑to‑market, and product quality.

Job Responsibilities

• Evaluate and propose key architecture options to drive performance
• Evaluate ONTAP competitiveness and drive differentiation with a performance focus, including against competitors’ published AI benchmark results
• Optimize ONTAP performance for Generative and Agentic AI workloads across the AI data pipeline: data ingest and preparation, training, checkpointing, inference, KV-cache, and RAG/vector search
• Own ONTAP’s AI benchmark program: plan, run, and publish industry benchmark submissions (e.g., MLPerf Storage, SPECstorage AI_IMAGE) that show competitive leadership
• Define AI benchmark methods and workload models (e.g., checkpoint/restore patterns, inference traces) that turn real customer AI pipelines into tests anyone can repeat
• Work with GPU and AI‑ecosystem partners on reference architectures, certifications, and high-performance data paths (GPUDirect Storage, RDMA, NFS over RDMA, pNFS)
• Work closely with engineering and product management to drive the performance agenda
• Evaluate design alternatives for enhanced performance, and prototype opportunities for performance enhancements
• Design, implement, execute, analyze, interpret, socialize and apply storage-oriented performance measurements and their results, including the creation of tools and automation for running AI benchmarks at GPU‑cluster scale
• Turn benchmark results into technical reports, competitive briefs, and conference talks for product marketing and field teams

Job Requirements

• In‑depth knowledge of technology trends, architecture differentiation, competitive positioning, and workload optimizations
• Hands‑on experience with AI/ML benchmarks and frameworks and an understanding of how AI training and inference stress storage (throughput, metadata, small random reads, checkpoint write bursts)
• Familiarity with GPU server architectures and high-performance data paths: RDMA, NVMe‑oF, GPUDirect Storage, parallel file access
• Extensive knowledge and experience in computer operating systems, computer architecture and design, data structures, software design and programming practices; systems programming in C and/or C++
• Strong scripting skills – Perl, Python (primarily within JupyterHub), and Shell
• Knowledge of storage systems and file systems highly desirable
• Experience publishing benchmark results or taking part in industry groups (e.g., MLCommons, SPEC) a plus
• Exceptional presentation and influencing skills
• The ability to make accurate work estimates and develop predictable plans
• Demonstrated willingness to take on additional tasks and responsibilities that positively contribute to realization of team, department, and company goals

Education

Typically requires a minimum of 12‑15 years of relevant experience.

A Bachelor of Science, Master’s of Science, or PhD Degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science; or equivalent experience is required.

Compensation

The target salary range for this position is 227,800 - 338,800 USD. The salary offered will be determined by the candidate’s location, qualifications, experience, and education and may be outside of this range. The range is based on ‘On Target Earnings’ (OTE) representing the total potential earnings, which is the sum of the base salary and potential commission earned when performance targets are achieved. Final compensation packages are competitive and in line with industry standards, reflecting a variety of factors, and include a comprehensive benefits package. This may cover Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Retirement or Pension Plans, Paid Time Off, various Leave options, employee stock purchase plan, and/or restricted stocks (RSU’s). These offerings are subject to regional variations and governed by local laws, regulations, and company policies. We will provide detailed information about the specific benefits for your region during the recruitment process.

At NetApp, we embrace a hybrid working environment designed to strengthen connection, collaboration, and culture for all employees. This means that most roles will have some level of in‑office and/or in‑person expectations, which will be shared during the recruitment process.

Equal Opportunity Employer

NetApp is firmly committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and to compliance with all federal, state and local laws that prohibit employment discrimination based on age, race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, disability or genetic information, pregnancy, protected veteran status, and any other protected classification.

Why You’ll Thrive at NetApp

At NetApp, you won’t wait for the perfect moment—you’ll make it. The early planning, the extra thought, the bold idea that turns good into great: That’s how our people operate and how we continue to push the boundaries of data infrastructure.

NetApp is the trusted partner for organizations transforming data into opportunity. As the only enterprise‑grade storage service natively embedded in Google Cloud, AWS, and Microsoft Azure, we empower customers to run everything from traditional workloads to enterprise AI with unmatched performance, resilience, and security.

Our culture

We celebrate mold breakers, bold thinkers, and problem solvers. We reward initiative, impact, and ownership. We provide flexibility so you can balance professional ambition with your personal life. Here, differences are not just welcomed—they drive everything we do.

If you’re ready to innovate, rise to the challenge, and own every moment – make your next move your best one.

AI Disclosure

For select roles, some stages of our hiring process may use artificial intelligence tools to help evaluate applications and candidate selection. These tools support—rather than replace—human decision-making.