Do you want to help drive the development of CPU architectures to fuel the explosive growth in artificial intelligence (AI) / deep learning (DL), high-performance computing (HPC), gaming, virtual reality, and autonomous vehicles? Come join the CPU performance architecture team as a Senior System Simulation Architect and help us push performance boundaries for NVIDIA’s line of CPU products!
What you’ll be doing:
- Develop full-system functional models capable of running complex multi-threaded heterogeneous (CPU/GPU) workloads – with special focus on the CPU subsystem.
- Integrate functional models from various frameworks with RTL simulators and emulators, hardware (HW-in-the-loop), and detailed performance models.
- Bring up system and application software in simulation and emulation – including firmware, Linux, drivers, benchmarks, and CPU/GPU workloads such as deep-learning (DL) and high-performance computing (HPC) workloads.
- Port/extend/develop system software (firmware, OS, and drivers) to meet workload simulation needs.
- Support CPU architects and performance engineers in their use of functional models, performance models, and emulation to drive next-generation CPU architectures.
What we need to see:
- BS/MS in EE, CE, or CS or equivalent experience
- 6 or more years of relevant experience
- Excellent C/C++/Python programming skills
- Experience in development of functional simulators and/or low-level software (OS, firmware, drivers); preferably both
- Excellent debugging skills – of both system software/firmware and application software
- Experience with the ARM ISA
- Excellent communication and teamwork skills
Ways to stand out from the crowd:
- Experience working with hardware emulators and/or FPGAs
- Background in CPU workload analysis (SimPoint, etc.)
- Experience with Linux kernel bringup and debug
- Familiarity with CUDA
- Experience with CPU/GPU application development and optimization in Pytorch, TensorFlow, and similar frameworks
NVIDIA is a global leader in accelerated computing, delivering breakthroughs in AI, HPC, and advanced system design. Our technologies power transformative applications across industries — from robotics and autonomous vehicles to healthcare and climate research. With the introduction of the Grace CPU Superchip, and more recently, the announcement of the Vera CPU, NVIDIA has expanded into the CPU server market, complementing our world-class GPUs and SoCs. These CPUs play a critical role in orchestrating complex workloads with exceptional performance-per-watt efficiency. The CPU architecture team is driving innovations that integrate seamlessly with NVIDIA’s broader technology stack, enabling faster AI model training, agentic use-cases, efficient data processing, and scalable cloud deployments.
#ArchitectYourFuture
Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions. The base salary range is 184,000 USD - 287,500 USD for Level 4, and 224,000 USD - 356,500 USD for Level 5.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 in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent experience
- 6 or more years of relevant experience
- Excellent C, C++, and Python programming skills
- Experience developing functional simulators and/or low-level software such as operating systems, firmware, or drivers
- Excellent debugging skills for system software, firmware, and application software
- Experience with the ARM instruction set architecture
- Excellent communication and teamwork skills
- Experience with hardware emulators and/or FPGAs
- CPU workload analysis experience, such as SimPoint
- Linux kernel bring-up and debugging experience
- Familiarity with CUDA
- Experience developing and optimizing CPU/GPU applications using PyTorch, TensorFlow, or similar frameworks
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.”
