Staff Software Engineer

Ambarella; United States; Hybrid; USD 166,000 - 212,000; Full time

Job summary

Ambarella seeks a hands-on engineer at the hardware–software boundary in the United States to advance AI vision processors for edge applications. You will develop low-level and runtime software for Ambarella AI SoCs and accelerators, optimizing heterogeneous cores and memory hierarchies.

You will design microcode and system software for AI workloads, build tools for deployment and profiling, and collaborate across architecture, hardware, and applications teams to deliver production-ready

Qualifications

• Master's degree in CS/CE/EE or equivalent.
• 5–10 years of systems/embedded software or firmware experience.
• Strong C and Python, with low-level programming skills.
• Solid understanding of computer architecture and microprocessors.
• Experience with modern software development processes.
• Strong analytical, communication and planning skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop expertise in Ambarella AI SoC and accelerator architecture.
• Design, implement, and debug microcode, runtime, and system software for AI workloads.
• Develop tools and infrastructure for deployment, profiling, debugging and performance analysis.
• Collaborate with architecture, hardware, compiler, and application teams.
• Support customers in optimizing models on Ambarella SoCs.

Skills

C

Python

Low-level programming

Computer architecture

Embedded software

Firmware engineering

Software development processes

Communication

Education

Master's degree in CS/CE/EE

Tools

RTOS internals

SDKs / toolchains

Job description

## AI Vision Processors For Edge Applications### *Our solutions make cameras smarter by extracting valuable data from high-resolution video streams.***Job Description**This is a hands-on engineering role at the hardware–software boundary.**Key Responsibilities:*** Low-Level & Runtime Development + Develop deep expertise in Ambarella AI SoC and accelerator architecture. + Design, implement, and debug microcode, runtime, and system-level software to deploy AI workloads. + Efficiently utilize heterogeneous compute cores and multi-level memory hierarchies to maximize performance.* Tooling & Infrastructure + Develop tools and infrastructure to streamline workload deployment, profiling, debugging, and performance analysis. + Enhance SDKs and workflows to simplify model and algorithm deployment to Ambarella AI platforms.* Cross-Functional & Customer Collaboration + Partner with architecture, hardware, compiler, and application teams to deliver production-ready solutions. + Support customers in optimizing and integrating their models onto Ambarella SoCs.**Qualifications & Skills:*** Required + Master’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent. + 5 to 10 years of experience in systems software, embedded software, firmware engineering. + Strong C, Python and low-level programming experience. + Deep understanding of Computer architecture and Microprocessor fundamentals. + Experience with modern software development processes. + Strong analytical skills, with a passion for solving complex challenges. + Strong communication, interpersonal and planning skills.* Preferred + Experience with heterogenous compute core SoCs and accelerators. + Knowledge of Runtimes, Operating Systems and/or RTOS internals. + Experience debugging system-level issues across components and layers.* Nice to have + Knowledge of Deep Learning, Computer Vision fundamentals. + Knowledge of AI workloads (CNNs, LLMs/VLMs), particularly how they map efficiently to hardware.**What Makes You Successful in This Role*** You enjoy working close to the hardware.* You are driven by performance optimization challenges.* You are comfortable navigating ambiguity in fast-moving, product-driven environments.Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions. The base salary range is 166,000 USD - 188,000 USD for Level 3, and 188,000 USD - 212,000 USD for Level 4.Combining technical expertise and a commitment to quality, Ambarella has established itself as the industry standard for excellence in video performance by offering pristine imagery, efficient compression, and low-power operation. For our next phase of growth, we are looking for talented team members to help us deliver our advanced computer vision algorithms to tomorrow’s intelligent video products. Our target applications include autonomous vehicles, intelligent video surveillance, self-flying drones, smart wearable cameras, 360-degree immersive video, and more.