Senior Software Engineer, L4 - Autonomous Vehicles

NVIDIA AI; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 290,000 - 357,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Job summary

NVIDIA in Santa Clara is seeking engineers to build the architecture behind next‑gen self‑driving vehicle technology, integrating classical safety stacks with foundation models and scalable AI systems.

You will work on prediction, decision, planning and control, develop a world model–based planning approach, and contribute to large‑scale model inference for autonomous driving.

Qualifications

• PhD with 4+ years, MS with 6+ years, or BS with 8+ years in CS/CE or related field.
• Production experience in autonomous driving systems.
• Experience with AI foundation models or large-scale ML systems.
• Experience with robotics or embodied AI systems.
• Knowledge of system architecture from 0→1→scale.

Responsibilities

• Compose and build the architecture behind next-generation self-driving vehicle technology.
• Work on Prediction, Decision, Planning and Control architecture.
• Have exposure to Classical safety stack.
• Build robust system-level safety and fallback strategies.
• Work on End-to-end data-driven AV pipelines.
• Hands on experience in DVLA/VA driving models.
• Develop a World Model–based planning and reasoning model.
• Engage with Large-scale model inference architecture.

Skills

System architecture

End-to-end driving models

Robotics or embodied AI

CUDA knowledge

Education

PhD with 4+ years

MS with 6+ years

BS with 8+ years

Tools

CUDA

Job description

Job Requisition ID JR2021766
Job Category Engineering
Time Type Full time
NVIDIA has been transforming computer graphics, PC gaming, and accelerated computing for more than 25 years. It’s a unique legacy of innovation that’s fueled by great technology—and amazing people. Today, we’re tapping into the unlimited potential of AI to define the next era of computing. An era in which our GPU acts as the brains of computers, robots, and self-driving cars that can understand the world. Doing what’s never been done before takes vision, innovation, and the world’s best talent. As an NVIDIAN, you’ll be immersed in a diverse, supportive environment where everyone is inspired to do their best work. Come join the team and see how you can make a lasting impact on the world.
At NVIDIA, we are building the next generation AI-native autonomous driving architecture — combining classical safety stacks, foundation models, and scalable AI systems into a unified production platform. Autonomous driving is entering a new era. The next generation of AV systems will not be purely classical robotics stacks, nor purely end-to-end neural networks. The future lies in the deep integration of classical safety architectures and large-scale AI-driven systems. If you want to work on problems that build the future of autonomous systems over the next decade, this is the place.

What You’ll Be Doing

• You will compose and build the architecture behind next-generation self-driving vehicle technology.
• Work on Prediction, Decision, Planning and Control architecture
• Have exposure to Classical safety stack
• Build robust system-level safety and fallback strategies
• Work on End-to-end data-driven AV pipelines
• Hands on experience in DVLA / VA driving models
• Develop a World Model–based planning and reasoning model
• Have the exposure to engage with Large-scale model inference architecture
• Contribute to the integration of innovative research in robotics into our self-driving vehicle technologies.
• Deep knowledge of E2E AV software integration from perception through control, including dependencies, interface management, and performance tuning.

What We Need To See

We’re looking for engineers who can build systems — not just components.

• PhD with 4+ years, MS with 6+ years, or BS (or equivalent experience) with 8+ years of relevant experience in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field.
• Production experience in autonomous driving systems
• Worked on AI foundation models or large-scale ML systems
• Helped drive End-to-end driving models
• Experience working on Robotics or embodied AI systems
• Knowledge and experience in System architecture from 0 → 1 → scale.

Ways To Stand Out From The Crowd

• PhD in a relevant field or related research experience
• Knowledge of CUDA is a plus

NVIDIA is widely recognized as one of the world’s most innovative technology companies — driving breakthroughs in AI, autonomous systems, and high-performance computing. As part of our Autonomous Driving division, you’ll work alongside world-class engineers to bring next-generation driving intelligence from research to reality.
#AutonomousVehicles
Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions. The base salary range is 184,000 USD - 287,500 USD for Level 4, and 224,000 USD - 356,500 USD for Level 5.
You will also be eligible for equity and benefits.
Applications for this job will be accepted at least until September 2, 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.