NVIDIA has been transforming computer graphics, PC gaming, and accelerated computing for more than 25 years. It’s a unique legacy of innovation that’s fueled by great technology—and amazing people. Today, we’re tapping into the unlimited potential of AI to define the next era of computing. An era in which our GPU acts as the brains of computers, robots, and self-driving cars that can understand the world. Doing what’s never been done before takes vision, innovation, and the world’s best talent. As an NVIDIAN, you’ll be immersed in a diverse, supportive environment where everyone is inspired to do their best work. Come join the team and see how you can make a lasting impact on the world.
We are looking for a Senior Staff Software Engineer to join our Software Infrastructure team in Santa Clara, CA. This role blends large-scale database transformation with the building and development of GPU-accelerated platforms. You'll develop the software systems, automation frameworks, and high-performance database services that power NVIDIA’s AI workloads at scale.
What you’ll be doing:
Compose and build software platforms that transform legacy database systems into modern and scalable architectures.
Implement secure-by-design database services with enterprise-grade identity, access control, and secrets management.
Run vector & graph database services and query engines to handle AI/ML data workloads with ultra-low latency.
Build automation frameworks for provisioning, schema evolution, scaling, and failover integrated directly into CI/CD workflows.
Build developer-focused tooling for monitoring, profiling, and debugging database performance in real time.
Contribute to architecture, coding standards, and guidelines for long-term platform evolution.
Participate in on-call rotations to ensure flawless operation of critical database services.
What we need to see:
BS, MS, or equivalent experience in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Data Engineering, or a related field.
12+ years of software engineering experience with deep expertise in database systems or distributed data platforms.
Strong programming skills in Python, Go, C++, or Java, with a track record of building production-grade systems.
Proven experience crafting high-performance, high-availability relational database services (MSSQL or equivalent).
Experience with container orchestration (Kubernetes) and cloud-native database deployment patterns.
Strong background in query optimization, data partitioning, and large-scale performance tuning.
Hands-on experience establishing DevOps guidelines, e.g., CI/CD, monitoring, alerting, SLAs, capacity forecasting, etc.
Strong security awareness, including authentication and data compliance.
Ways to stand out from the crowd:
Open-source contributions in the database, distributed systems, or AI/ML infrastructure space.
Expertise in hybrid/multi-region database replication strategies for low-latency AI workloads.
Strong understanding of observability and performance profiling tools for complex data systems.
Experience in building platforms that directly support AI/ML research and production deployment.
Widely considered to be one of the technology world’s most desirable employers, NVIDIA offers highly competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits package. As you plan your future, see what we can offer to you and your family www.nvidiabenefits.com/
Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions. The base salary range is 200,000 USD - 322,000 USD for Level 5, and 248,000 USD - 391,000 USD for Level 6.You will also be eligible for equity and benefits.
This posting is for an existing vacancy.
NVIDIA uses AI tools in its recruiting processes.
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.Skills Required
- BS, MS, or equivalent experience in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Data Engineering, or a related field.
- 12+ years of software engineering experience with expertise in database systems or distributed data platforms.
- Strong programming skills in Python, Go, C++, or Java, with a track record of building production-grade systems.
- Proven experience crafting high-performance, high-availability relational database services (MSSQL or equivalent).
- Experience with container orchestration (Kubernetes) and cloud-native database deployment patterns.
- Strong background in query optimization, data partitioning, and large-scale performance tuning.
- Hands-on experience establishing DevOps guidelines, e.g., CI/CD, monitoring, alerting, SLAs, capacity forecasting, etc.
- Strong security awareness, including authentication and data compliance.
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.”
