Principal Software Engineer, AI Networking

Nvidia

Confirmed live yesterday High trust

Remote

Quick summary

Work type: Remote
Location: Santa Clara, CA
Salary: $272,000–$431,250 / yr
Posted: 67 days ago
Freshness: Confirmed live yesterday
Nearby: 99+ roles within 25 mi

Market check

Salary context

Above market

How this pay compares to similar roles

Similar $203k

This role $352k

$108k most similar roles pay here $466k

This role pays more than 99% of similar roles. Most pay $174,600–$231,000 — the shaded band above. At the midpoint, this role pays about $352k versus about $203k for comparable roles.

Based on 240 similar postings.

Employer

About Nvidia

Nvidia is a leading designer of graphics processing units (GPUs) and system-on-chip units, powering gaming, professional visualization, data centers, and artificial intelligence workloads. Industry: Semiconductors & AI Computing

Nvidia currently has 896 open roles on FindRole.

Listed pay typically runs $184,000–$287,500 across 876 roles with salary data.

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At a glance

TL;DR · Principal Software Engineer, AI Networking

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As a Principal Software Engineer, AI Networking, you will join the team to lead the technical strategy for AI Factory networking deployments at strategic customers. You will serve as the primary technical authority for embedded networking products like BlueField and ConnectX while managing complex customer engagements involving architecture reviews, risk assessments, and multi-phase execution plans. Your daily work involves deep technical engagement with hyperscalers, including coding, bring-up, performance tuning, and production hardening. You will utilize C/C++, DOCA, RDMA, RoCE, InfiniBand, DPDK, NCCL, and CUDA-aware networking to solve problems related to packet drops, congestion, and buffer management. By collaborating with internal teams, you will translate customer needs into product features and reference architectures, ultimately driving improvements in performance, reliability, and debuggability across the broader networking ecosystem for large-scale AI infrastructure.

What does a Software Engineer earn in California?

Median $214000 from 775 postings across 63 companies.

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Skills

RoCE InfiniBand RDMA C C++ DOCA DPDK NCCL CUDA Networking Protocols Distributed Systems Firmware Performance Tuning QoS Telemetry Automation

What you'll do

Lead technical strategy for AI Factory networking deployments including architecture reviews and risk assessments.
Serve as the primary technical authority for embedded networking products like BlueField and ConnectX.
Manage deep technical engagements with hyperscalers involving design-in, coding, bring-up, and performance tuning.
Translate customer requirements into product features, reference architectures, and software roadmap items.
Drive improvements in performance, reliability, and debuggability across customer networking stacks.
Conduct system-level debugging for packet drops, retransmissions, congestion, and buffer management.
Influence product architecture by collaborating with internal engineering and product teams to address customer needs.

What we're looking for

BS/MS/PhD in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent experience.
15+ years of relevant industry experience including technical leadership across complex systems.
Deep knowledge of networking protocols and distributed systems, including RoCE, InfiniBand, and L1–L4 fundamentals.
Proficiency in C/C++ with expertise in debugging firmware, drivers, and user space.
Experience in high-performance networking and system-level debugging such as packet drops, retransmissions, and congestion management.
Ability to communicate complex technical topics clearly to engineers, product managers, and customer collaborators.
Preferred experience in customer-facing leadership at hyperscalers or AI factories.
Hands-on expertise with DPDK, DOCA, RDMA verbs, NCCL, and CUDA-aware networking.