Senior Software Systems Engineer - Autonomous Vehicles

Shape the Future of Autonomous Driving with NVIDIA! Join NVIDIA’s DRIVE Road Structure, Online Mapping, and Context Fusion team as we build the next generation of autonomous vehicle technology. We are seeking a highly skilled Senior Software Engineer to architect, develop, and optimize the software stack powering our advanced 3D world modeling, map-perception fusion, and context-aware navigation systems. In this role, you’ll collaborate with leading experts across perception, planning, and mapping to deliver robust, scalable solutions that enable our vehicles to safely navigate complex real-world environments. If you thrive on solving challenging problems at the intersection of software architecture, real-time systems, and AI, we want to hear from you!

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Develop and Implement Core AV Features: Design and implement foundational systems for autonomous driving by fusing state-of-the-art perception DNNs and HD map data, supporting both map-based and mapless driving.

• Build Modular, Scalable Software: Drive architectural improvements to modularize the software stack, establish clean interfaces, and enable extensibility and reuse across multiple product lines and OEMs.

• Drive Performance and Quality: Profile and tune system performance for multi-core, embedded, and safety-critical environments using C++ and GPGPU programming (CUDA).

• Writing safe embedded software code to run in real-time systems. 

• Collaborate and Lead: Partner with global teams across software, systems, and hardware to define interfaces, improve integration velocity, and mentor engineers.

• Ensure Safety and Reliability: Develop algorithms and software that meet automotive quality and safety standards, with rigorous test coverage and documentation.

What We Need to See:

• Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field (or equivalent experience).

• 7+ years of professional software development experience, including at least 2 years in autonomous vehicles, robotics, or embedded/automotive platforms.

• Strong expertise in C++ (and C), with hands-on experience in real-time, multithreaded, or performance-critical systems.

• Proven experience in software architecture, modular design, and framework/API development.

• Familiarity with GPGPU programming (CUDA) and runtime optimization.

• Experience working in Linux, QNX, or other embedded RTOS environments.

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills; ability to work across multidisciplinary teams.

• Passion for robotics, AI, and autonomous vehicles; eager to learn and solve impactful challenges.

Ways to Stand Out from the Crowd:

• Knowledge of 3D geometry, computer vision, sensor fusion, calibration, or state estimation (e.g., Kalman/particle filters).

• Industry experience with ADAS, mapping, localization, or real-time computer vision systems.

• Experience with API and framework design in large-scale, safety-critical automotive software environments.

• Familiarity with Git, Bazel, and modern development workflows.

• Technical leadership experience, including mentoring and growing engineering teams.

At NVIDIA, we believe autonomous vehicles will transform our world—saving lives and redefining mobility. We have the resources, scale, and ambition to lead this revolution, and we’re looking for entrepreneurial, driven engineers to join us. As part of our diverse and inclusive team, you’ll work alongside some of the brightest minds in the industry. Ready to drive the future? Apply now and help us build the next generation of autonomous vehicles!

The base salary range is 184,000 USD - 287,500 USD. Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions.NVIDIA is committed to fostering a diverse 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.