Sr. Staff/Principal Engineer — GPU Driver & Systems Software

MediaTek Research Lab Inc.; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 179,000 - 286,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive health insurance

401(k) plan

Parental leave

Vacation time

Job summary

MediaTek Research Lab Inc. is seeking a Sr. Staff/Principal Engineer to develop GPU drivers and systems software. This role requires over 10 years of experience and expertise in C/C++ and GPU internals to collaborate on high-impact hardware architecture projects.

The position includes working on cutting-edge technology across the GPU software stack, influencing next-generation designs.

Applicants will enjoy a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits, including health insurance and a 401(k) plan.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience building GPU drivers or low-level systems software.
• Deep expertise in industry-standard graphics APIs.
• Understanding of GPU internals, including memory hierarchies and scheduling.

Responsibilities

• Work on GPU driver development and optimization.
• Collaborate on GPU architecture and micro-architecture design.
• Lead technical projects and mentor junior engineers.

Skills

C/C++

Vulkan

DirectX 12

OpenGL ES

OpenCL

GPU software architecture

Job description

Sr. Staff/Principal Engineer — GPU Driver & Systems Software

Category

Chip Design

Location

San Diego, CA or San Jose, CA

Experience

More than 8 Years Work Experience

Job Description

About the Role: Bring your GPU driver expertise and work directly with our Architecture and Micro‑architecture teams. You will help extract maximum performance from the silicon and play a pivotal role in driving our next‑generation GPU designs forward.

Work Location: San Diego, CA, or San Jose, CA.

This is a full‑stack GPU software role. You will have the opportunity to work across industry‑standard graphics and compute APIs, kernel‑mode drivers, GPU firmware, performance optimization, and hardware/software co‑design.

What You’ll Do — The Full Stack

• API Layer: Architect, develop, and optimize features for industry‑standard APIs including Vulkan, DirectX, OpenGL ES, and OpenCL.
• Kernel & Firmware: Work deep in kernel‑mode drivers and GPU firmware to improve hardware control, stability, scheduling, memory management, and execution efficiency.
• Performance: Identify, analyze, and eliminate bottlenecks across the stack — including driver overhead, memory bandwidth, GPU scheduling, compute throughput, and power/performance tradeoffs.
• Architecture Collaboration: Partner closely with Architecture, Micro‑architecture, Compiler, and GPU Model teams to influence next‑generation GPU design and ensure the software stack fully leverages the hardware.
• Technical Leadership: Lead complex debug efforts, guide design decisions, mentor engineers, and help raise the technical bar across the GPU driver team.

Main Requirements and Qualifications

• Who You Are: 10+ years of experience building GPU drivers, graphics systems, or low‑level systems software.
• Fluent in C/C++ and comfortable working close to hardware.
• Deep expertise in one or more industry‑standard APIs such as Vulkan, DirectX 12, OpenCL, or OpenGL ES.
• Understanding of GPU internals at a deep level, including memory hierarchies, command submission, scheduling, synchronization, pipeline architecture, and performance bottlenecks.
• Enjoys working across boundaries — from API design to kernel drivers, firmware, compiler interaction, and hardware architecture.

Why This Role?

• No Silos: Not restricted to only the API layer, kernel driver, firmware, or performance. Work across the entire GPU software stack.
• Shape the Hardware: Your software insights will directly influence next‑generation GPU architecture and micro‑architecture.
• High‑Impact Work: Your contributions will help turn silicon capability into real‑world graphics, compute, and AI performance.

Benefits

• Salary range: $179,000 - $286,000
• Employee may be eligible for performance bonus, short and long term incentive programs. Actual total compensation will be dependent upon the individual's skills, experience, and qualifications.
• MediaTek provides a variety of benefits including comprehensive health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, company paid holidays, sick leave, vacation time, parental leave, 401(k), and more.

Equal Opportunity

MediaTek is an Equal Opportunity Employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.