System Software Engineer, Linux Kernel and Device Drivers

MatX; Mountain View (CA); On-site; USD 250,000 - 475,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Health insurance

Paid time off

Parental leave

Professional development

Team events

401K

Flexible spending accounts

Remote work

Job summary

MatX is building silicon for high‑performance GenAI in Mountain View, CA. We are seeking a System Software Engineer to deliver performant Linux kernel drivers and low‑level userspace libraries for AI accelerators and PCIe devices.

You will work across kernel and userspace, validate pre‑silicon features, and collaborate with hardware and platform teams. Applicants should have 8+ years of experience in low‑level systems software, strong C skills, and a deep understanding of computer architecture.

Qualifications

• Must have 8+ years of hands-on low-level systems software experience.
• Proven track record shipping PCIe device drivers and kernel-space work.
• Ability to read hardware datasheets and implement from specifications.

Responsibilities

• Architect, design, and implement the Linux kernel driver stack for AI accelerators (PCIe endpoint devices).
• Build low-level userspace libraries and ioctl/sysfs interfaces.
• Test and validate pre-silicon features in simulation, emulation, and FPGA environments.
• Write prototype code, debug utilities, and bring-up tooling for early hardware features.
• Collaborate with hardware and platform engineers on bring-up and validation.
• Profile host I/O path, including PCIe throughput and DMA efficiency.
• Deliver unit and regression tests for kernel and library components.

Skills

Linux kernel development

C programming

PCIe driver development

Kernel/userspace balance

Hardware datasheets

Debug HW/SW issues

System software

Education

BS in Computer Science or Electrical Engineering

Tools

GDB

Perf

Ftrace

SR-IOV familiarity

Job description

Overview

MatX's mission is to make the world’s best AI models run as efficiently as allowed by physics, bringing the world years ahead in AI quality and availability.

We are seeking a System Software Engineer to join our team as we create best‑class silicon for high‑performance and sustainable GenAI. Successful candidates will be responsible for delivering performant and functionally accurate silicon for MatX products across compute, memory management, high‑speed connectivity and other key technologies.

What You'll Do Here

• Architect, design, and implement the Linux kernel driver stack for MatX's AI accelerators (PCIe endpoint devices), including memory management, DMA, interrupt handling, and command submission paths
• Build the low‑level userspace libraries that sit directly on top of the driver — ioctl/sysfs interfaces, memory mapping, direct chip access utilities
• Test and validate early chip features on pre‑silicon platforms: software simulation, emulation, and FPGA environments — often as the first software to ever touch a new hardware feature
• Write quick prototype code, debug utilities, and bring‑up tooling to exercise the chip directly, well before polished production software exists
• Drive first‑silicon bring‑up side by side with hardware, BMC firmware, and platform engineers, debugging issues that span RTL, firmware, kernel, and userspace
• Profile and optimize the host I/O path: PCIe throughput, DMA efficiency, interrupt latency, and OS overheads
• Deliver unit and regression tests for kernel and library components
• Expose driver‑level device state and error information in ways the platform telemetry and management layers (and, where relevant, the BMC) can consume
• Influence next‑generation chip architecture by feeding software requirements back into silicon design
• Share ownership of adjacent components with teammates — e.g., contributing to the chip initialization and telemetry daemons that build on your driver interfaces

Who You Are

• BS or higher in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent practical experience, with 8+ years in low‑level systems software
• Strong hands‑on Linux kernel development experience — you've written and shipped device drivers, ideally for PCIe devices
• Strong C programming skills; comfortable in userspace and kernel space
• Able to read hardware datasheets and register definitions and program a device from them, without waiting for someone to explain the hardware
• Deep understanding of computer architecture and OS internals: MMIO, DMA, interrupts, IOMMU, memory hierarchy, processes/threads, virtual memory
• Experienced debugging complex hardware/software interaction issues with limited visibility
• Self‑driven and comfortable with ambiguity — able to own a component from blank page through bring‑up and validation on a small, fast‑moving team

Bonus Points If You Have

• Experience with pre‑silicon validation environments (simulation, emulation, FPGA prototyping)
• First‑silicon or new‑platform bring‑up experience for accelerators, NICs, or SoCs
• Familiarity with SR‑IOV, dma-buf, peer‑to‑peer PCIe, or VFIO
• Kernel performance tuning and profiling experience (perf, ftrace, eBPF)
• Exposure to BMC/host interaction paths (e.g., in‑band vs. out‑of‑band device access, sideband interfaces such as I2C/SMBus)
• Rust for systems programming

Compensation

US base salary for this full‑time position is determined based on a variety of factors including role, experience, location, job related skills, and relevant education and training. Career length is only a guideline for compensation.

• Early Career - $120,000 - $250,000 + equity
• Mid Career - $175,000 - $362,500 + equity
• Senior Career - $250,000 - $475,000 + equity

What We Offer

• A Stake in our success A flexible cash equity compensation mix that fits your needs
• Heath & Wellness Company subsidized Health, Dental, Vision, and Life insurance; Pre‑tax Health Savings Accounts with generous company contribution (even if you don’t)
• Time To Recharge 4 weeks paid time off (accrued), 12 company holidays, and 3 weeks remote/flexible work per year
• Support to Parents Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave, regardless of your path to parenthood
• Learning & Development $1,500 yearly towards your professional development e.g. conferences, courses, and other learning opportunities
• Team Connection Team Lunches, quarterly off‑sites, and regular town halls
• Financial Wellbeing 401K and/or Roth IRA, with 5% company contribution, even if you don’t!
• Flexible Spending Accounts Pre‑tax spend accounts for medical, dental/vision, dependent care, parking, and transit expenses
• Commute On Us For those commuting up to 1 hour, put your rideshare cost on our company card and reclaim the drive‑time to get work done!
• MatX E[x]tras $50 per month to use on the perks you care about most
• Remote Perks We work remotely Monday & Friday, supported by home‑tech setup, and remote wifi expense reimbursement

As part of our dedication to the diversity of our team and our focus on creating an inviting and inclusive work experience, MatX is committed to a policy of Equal Employment Opportunity and will not discriminate against an applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition, marital/domestic partner status, military and veteran status, genetic information or any other legally recognized protected basis under federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances.

All candidates must be authorized to work in the United States and work from our offices in Mountain View Tuesdays―Thursdays.

This position requires access to information that is subject to U.S. export controls. This offer of employment is contingent upon the applicants capacity to perform job functions in compliance with U.S. export control laws without obtaining a license from U.S. export control authorities.

MatX does not accept unsolicited resumes from individual recruiters or third‑party recruiting agencies in response to job postings. No fee will be paid to third parties who submit unsolicited candidates directly to our hiring managers or People team and any resumes submitted are deemed to be the property of MatX.