Principal Software Engineer – Networking, Hyperscale Engineering

NVIDIA

Principal Software Engineer developing high-performance NIC software for NVIDIA's AI-powered superclusters. Collaborating with top-tier clients to optimize networking solutions for cutting-edge technologies.

Posted 5/16/2026full-timeSeattle • California, Washington • 🇺🇸 United StatesLead💰 $248,000 - $391,000 per yearWebsite

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

LinuxSwitching

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Co-developing NIC software and communication paths with strategic, top-tier customers to enable and scale large AI superclusters.
Designing and implementing high‑performance C/C++ components on Linux using DPDK, kernel-bypass techniques, and RDMA/RoCE.
Developing and integrating kernel, driver, and NIC firmware features to improve throughput, latency, and reliability for AI workloads.
Working closely with NCCL and distributed training teams to tune end-to-end collectives performance over NVIDIA networking at scale.
Owning complex performance and functionality debug with customers and representing the team in cross-org architecture discussions.

Requirements

What you’ll need

15+ years overall experience in a similar or related systems / networking software role
A Bachelor’s, Master’s or PhD in Software Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
Deep C/C++ expertise, strong Linux systems knowledge, and hands-on experience with kernel networking / RDMA / NIC drivers or DPDK
Proven experience developing and debugging network operating systems (NOS) and routing/switching protocols used in AI data centers (for example BGP, ECMP, EVPN/VXLAN)
Practical experience with DOCA, NIC firmware interfaces, or other hardware-accelerated networking stacks for large-scale systems.
Excellent communication skills and a track record of effective collaboration with developers, partners, and customers in dynamic environments.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Competitive salaries
Generous benefits package
Equity

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

CC++LinuxDPDKRDMARoCEkernel networkingNIC driversnetwork operating systemsrouting protocols

Soft Skills

communicationcollaborationdebuggingproblem-solvingarchitecture discussions

Certifications

Bachelor’s degreeMaster’s degreePhD