Software Engineer, Coding Agent Harness Engineering - New College Grad 2026

NVIDIA Corporation; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 108,000 - 196,000; Full time

Job summary

NVIDIA Corporation in Santa Clara, CA, seeks an AI research engineer to build and modify coding agent harnesses, analyze inference workload dynamics, and extend co-design across software and hardware stacks.

You will collaborate with teams, demonstrate rigorous data‑driven research, and contribute to frontier agentic systems using Codex and Claude Code. A BS in CS is required; equity and benefits apply. This is a full-time, on-site role.

Qualifications

• BS in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Proven track record building or modifying coding agent harnesses at scale.
• Familiarity with agent evaluation frameworks such as Harbor, and inference performance metrics including TTFT, throughput, and ITL.
• Hands-on use of frontier coding agents such as Codex and Claude Code, driving performance to the frontier.
• Rigorous, scientific approach to data collection, analysis, and research.

Responsibilities

• Building and modifying coding agent harnesses to research the impact of different architectural decisions
• Architecting AI-driven systems that analyze inference workload dynamics of leading agentic harnesses under realistic conditions
• Collaborating with teams across NVIDIA's software and hardware stack to extend co-design to the harness layer

Skills

Coding agent harnesses

Agent evaluation

Data analysis

Codex

Claude Code

Education

BS in Computer Science or related field

Tools

Harbor

Job description

Today, NVIDIA is tapping into the unlimited potential of AI to define the next era of computing, an era in which our GPUs act 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, encouraging environment where everyone is inspired to do their best work. Demand for AI inference is growing rapidly, and coding agents are emerging as a major driver of compute needs. New agentic patterns, including reasoning models, parallel subagents, and long-horizon tool use, are increasing the complexity and scale of inference workloads at an unprecedented pace. Our team profiles real coding agent workloads to develop a world-class understanding of how these agents evolve, then partners directly with teams across NVIDIA's hardware and software stack to push the coding agent ecosystem to the frontier of performance.

What you'll be doing:

• Building and modifying coding agent harnesses to research the impact of different architectural decisions
• Architecting AI-driven systems that analyze inference workload dynamics of leading agentic harnesses under realistic conditions
• Collaborating with teams across NVIDIA's software and hardware stack to extend co-design to the harness layer

What we need to see:

• Proven track record building or modifying coding agent harnesses at scale
• Familiarity with agent evaluation frameworks such as Harbor, and inference performance metrics including TTFT, throughput, and ITL
• Hands-on use of frontier coding agents such as Codex and Claude Code, driving performance to the frontier
• Rigorous, scientific approach to data collection, analysis, and research
• BS in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent experience

Ways to stand out from the crowd:

• Work experience at an AI inference or agent company
• Experience with building modern agentic or AI-backed systems
• Ability to translate data into specific product improvements with the end user in mind
• Open source projects showcasing agentic AI applications
• MS in Computer Science or a related field

NVIDIA is widely considered to be one of the technology world's most desirable employers. We have some of the most forward-thinking and hardworking people in the world working for us.

If you're creative and autonomous, we want to hear from you! Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions. The base salary range is 108,000 USD - 178,250 USD for Level 1, and 124,000 USD - 195,500 USD for Level 2. You will also be eligible for equity and benefits.

Applications for this job will be accepted at least until September 19, 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.

NVIDIA pioneered accelerated computing. Today, our AI infrastructure powers global intelligence, transforming every industry. Learn more about NVIDIA.