We are hiring software engineers to work on Project Nova, the new in-tree, open-source NVIDIA GPU driver for Linux written in Rust. Nova is the long-term replacement for the kernel-mode portion of the current Linux GPU stack developed by NVIDIA. The role covers ongoing work on Linux subsystem infrastructure built with Rust that Nova and other collaboratively developed Rust drivers depend on.
Nova exists within the mainline Linux kernel and is developed publicly. Development occurs through discussions within the kernel mailing threads alongside Nouveau, the DRM subsystem, and the Rust for Linux community.
Our team builds the kernel-side abstractions that make a modern GPU driver possible in Rust, including driver core, PCI configuration, DMA address translation, device input/output and IRQ, devres, auxiliary bus, firmware loader, together with the Rust allocator shim.
What you'll be doing :
As a member of our team, the role applies design, coding expertise, and creativity to build the kernel-side foundation of NVIDIA's in-tree open-source GPU stack. You will compose both the driver itself and the broader Rust kernel ecosystem it sits on top of.
Architect and implement features in Nova (the upstream Linux driver for NVIDIA GPUs), targeting existing and upcoming NVIDIA GPUs.
Help build the technical direction of Nova, including patch review, development dialogues, and coordinating releases on the kernel mailing lists.
Collaborate with the Rust for Linux community and Nova reviewers on patch review and design discussions.
What we need to see:
BS or MS degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering or related field (or equivalent experience).
Strong Rust and C programming skills. Some familiarity with C++ would be a plus
Minimum of 10+ years of related development experience.
Experience working with large codebases, preferably the upstream Linux kernel.
Background with kernel device model, driver core, and OS interfaces for memory management, IRQ handling, and synchronization.
Experience writing and debugging kernel code in multi-threaded, interrupt, and DMA contexts.
Strong written communication, comfortable working entirely in public on open-source mailing threads such as rust-for-linux, dri-devel, nouveau, linux-pci, driver-core, and nova-gpu.
Ways to stand out from the crowd:
Existing upstream maintainer-ship in the Linux kernel, especially in the use of Rust within the Linux environment, DRM, or driver core.
Track record of contributions to drivers/gpu/nova-core/, drivers/gpu/drm/nova/, or rust/kernel/.
Familiarity with DRM Rust infrastructure such as GPUVM, DRM GPU scheduler, GEM, and DRM device abstractions.
Experience with PCI device bring-up, or other GPU bring-up work on real hardware.
History of representing a project in public technical forums such as LPC, Kangrejos, FOSDEM, or dri-devel hackfests.
Skills Required
- BS or MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering or related field
- Strong Rust and C programming skills
- Minimum of 10+ years of related development experience
- Experience working with large codebases, preferably upstream Linux kernel
- Background with kernel device model, driver core, and OS interfaces
- Experience writing and debugging kernel code in multi-threaded, interrupt, and DMA contexts
- Strong written communication skills
NVIDIA Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about NVIDIA and has not been reviewed or approved by NVIDIA.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Equity awards and a discounted ESPP are highlighted as core parts of total compensation, enabling employees to share in the company’s success. Stock-based compensation and the two-year lookback ESPP are consistently described as especially valuable.
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Healthcare Strength — Health coverage is portrayed as robust, with comprehensive medical, dental, and vision options alongside mental health support and on-site care resources. Employer HSA contributions and wellness perks reinforce the depth of the offering.
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Retirement Support — Retirement programs are depicted as strong, featuring a meaningful 401(k) match with Roth options and support for Mega Backdoor Roth contributions. These elements position long-term savings as a notable advantage of the total rewards package.
NVIDIA Insights
What We Do
NVIDIA’s invention of the GPU in 1999 sparked the growth of the PC gaming market, redefined modern computer graphics, and revolutionized parallel computing. More recently, GPU deep learning ignited modern AI — the next era of computing — with the GPU acting as the brain of computers, robots, and self-driving cars that can perceive and understand the world. Today, NVIDIA is increasingly known as “the AI computing company.”
