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Senior Software Engineer - Autonomous Vehicles

NVIDIA, US, CA, Santa Clara

Posted pay

$152K–$288K

a year

Location: US, CA, Santa Clara
Work type: Not given
Level: Senior
Experience: 5+ years
Skills in the job text: C++
CUDA
Posted: 6 days ago
Last check: 20 h ago
Job type: Software engineering, Inference & ML systems, ML / AI engineering

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The role

Self-driving cars need to detect the road’s course instantly, without relying on prior maps. We build an online mapping system that transforms raw sensor data into an accurate, live 3D model. This model shows lanes, boundaries, crosswalks, intersection structure, and traffic control semantics that the driving stack depends on. This is a software engineering role is central to that system. The algorithms are only as good as the software that runs them, so we need an engineer who obsesses over quality, performance, and architecture, and who can turn algorithmic ideas into safe, fast, maintainable code that runs in production vehicles on NVIDIA DRIVE Orin and Thor.

The software you write will meet ASIL-B/D requirements and ship across L2++, L3, and L4 programs. You won’t be developing the algorithms from scratch, but you’ll need a strong grasp of them. You’ll work closely alongside algorithm engineers, and you need to understand what the code is doing to implement, optimize, and test it well.

What you will do

Build and own core online mapping software operating in the car, from architecture through implementation to deployment.
Write production C++ for real-time embedded systems, with a focus on correctness, determinism, and maintainability.
Build software architecture and frameworks that promote code reuse, clean interfaces, and long-term maintainability across vehicle programs.
Improve performance of C++ and CUDA code running on NVIDIA DRIVE Orin and Thor, employing profilers to detect and address bottlenecks and to meet real-time budgets.
Use GPU parallelism (CUDA) to make compute-heavy mapping components fast and efficient.
Implement and incorporate algorithmic solutions from the mapping team into the core of NVIDIA’s AV stack, collaborating with algorithm engineers to understand and improve them.
Develop according to automotive safety standards (ASIL-B/D). Employ thorough static analysis and adhere to coding guidelines committed to safety. Reach 100% line and branch coverage through detailed unit and integration tests.
Handle real-time system signals from vehicles operating around the world, building software that is robust to varied conditions and failure modes.
Collaborate with perception, localization, planning, and infrastructure groups to incorporate online mapping into the complete AV stack across L2++, L3, and L4 programs.

What you need

BS or MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
5+ years of validated experience building robust, production-quality software.
3+ years of professional C++ development experience, including modern C++ and a strong grasp of memory management, concurrency, and performance.
Experience designing software architecture and APIs for large, long-lived codebases.
A quality-first mentality: comfortable with static analysis, unit testing, and high-coverage test strategies.
Solid understanding of algorithms and data structures, and the ability to work with algorithm developers and understand their work.
Strong communication and analytical skills, and the ability to work optimally across multiple teams.
Autonomous and responsible, demonstrating outstanding teamwork while enjoying solving hard problems.

Ways to stand out from the crowd

Software development on embedded, real-time, or automotive platforms, including experience with real-time operating systems (e.g., QNX, Linux RT).
Experience with functional safety standards and processes (ISO 26262, ASIL-B/D), MISRA or AUTOSAR C++ coding guidelines, and safety-qualified toolchains.
Experience achieving high or full structural coverage (line and branch, ideally MC/DC) on production code.
Experience with GPGPU programming (CUDA) and GPU performance tuning.
Strong skills in runtime profiling and optimization of CPU and GPU code.

#AutonomousVehicles

Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and other objective job-related factors. The expected base salary ranges for this position are: 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 November 9, 2026.

This posting is for an existing vacancy.

NVIDIA uses AI tools in its recruiting processes.

Legal notes

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.

Read the job posting on the NVIDIA site

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Posted yesterday

Source: the NVIDIA Workday careers site. We last checked this job 20 h ago. We first saw it 4 days ago. A job on a job board does not always mean that the team interviews people now.

See total pay at Nvidia on Levels.fyiBase, stock and bonus, as employees report it.

NVIDIA

Open tech jobs: 1,424
With posted pay: 78%
Median posted base: $184K–$322K

About NVIDIA: funding, hiring and pay

Compared with similar jobs

This base pay is near the median for senior software engineering jobs in the Bay Area.

Median: $213K a year
Other jobs in the group: 1,604

We compare the middle of each posted range. This is base pay as posted. The group does not include this job.