Senior System Software Engineer - AV Platform

NVIDIA Corporation; Santa Clara, Northern (CA, KY); Hybrid; USD 152,000 - 288,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Benefits

Job summary

NVIDIA Corporation is seeking a hands-on System Software Engineer for its Autonomous Vehicles System Software Team in Santa Clara. You will design, implement, and optimize core components of the DriveWorks SDK, focusing on high-performance C++ software for sensor fusion, data processing, and in-vehicle testing.

You will work across platforms from embedded to cloud, leveraging Linux/QNX RTOS, GPGPU programming with CUDA, and modern tooling.

Qualifications

• BS or MS in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field.
• 5+ years of professional experience in autonomous vehicles software.
• Strong C/C++ programming skills and experience with parallel architectures.
• Experience with Linux, QNX, or other RTOS.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop core components of NVIDIA DriveWorks SDK.
• Optimize software architecture for real-world performance.
• Build sensor abstraction layers, data processing components, and communication frameworks.
• Conduct in-vehicle tests and collect data for autonomous missions.
• Write unit tests and documentation; ensure quality and safety standards.

Skills

C++ programming

C programming

Parallel processing

Linux

QNX

MISRA/AUTOSAR

Education

BS or MS in Computer Engineering/CS

Tools

CUDA

OpenCL

Git

Bazel

Cursor

Copilot

Gemini

Job description

The Autonomous Vehicles System Software Team is looking for a hands‑on System Software Engineer. As part of our team, you will work on our Autonomous Driving Platform software, implementing performant and scalable solutions for data collections and autonomous vehicle fleets. Our team is responsible for developing platform and middleware features for self‑driving cars. This includes software that interacts with various sensors including Cameras, LIDAR, RADAR, GPS, IMU, Vehicle CAN etc. We are seeking candidates with interests in inventing, developing, and maintaining application framework and tools on multi‑computer and heterogeneous architectures. The role encompasses working with various teams across the stack, from platform and embedded software to cloud infrastructure, underpinned by safety and performance. It extends an opportunity to contribute to the technology that will drive the cars of the future!

What you will be doing:

• Designing and developing core components of NVIDIA DriveWorks SDK.
• Developing and optimizing software architecture and frameworks for real-world performance while matching or exceeding customer requirements.
• Working on areas such as sensor abstraction layers, data processing components, process scheduling, data serialization, network communications, and frameworks.
• Performing in-vehicle tests, collecting data and completing autonomous drive missions.
• Establishing unit tests, documentation for features, evaluating quality and proposing corrective actions.
• Developing highly efficient production code in C++, making use of high algorithmic parallelism offered by GPGPU programming (CUDA).
• Follow quality and safety standards such as defined by MISRA and AUTOSAR.

What we need to see:

• BS or MS in Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related engineering field (or equivalent experience).
• 5+ years of professional experience working on autonomous vehicles software.
• Excellent C and C++ programming skills.
• Strong knowledge of programming and debugging techniques, especially for parallel and distributed architectures.
• Proficient with AI-powered coding tools like Cursor, Copilot, Gemini, etc.
• Strong background of Linux, QNX, and/or other real-time operating systems.
• Thrive on writing low latency, highly performant code.
• Great communication and analytical skills.

Ways to stand out from the crowd:

• Experience with data-parallel and/or GPGPU programming, CUDA, OpenCL.
• Knowledge of image processing APIs (e.g. OpenCV) and MATLAB tools.
• Knowledge of automotive systems, notably ADAS applications.
• Software development for modern OpenGL (Core Profile) and Linux.
• Experience with version control systems GIT and build system Bazel.

Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions. The base salary range is 152,000 USD - 241,500 USD for Level 3, and 184,000 USD - 287,500 USD for Level 4. You will also be eligible for equity and benefits. Applications for this job will be accepted at least until September 2, 2026.

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.

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