SoC Software Engineer – New College Graduate 2026

Posted 2 Days Ago
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Santa Clara, CA, USA
In-Office
108K-196K Annually
Entry level
Artificial Intelligence • Computer Vision • Hardware • Robotics • Metaverse
The Role
Develop SoC software, validation solutions, test frameworks, boot software, firmware, kernel, and user-space applications for CPU, GPU, and heterogeneous computing platforms. Build reliability and validation systems from virtual prototypes through production, collaborate across hardware and software teams, debug complex issues, and improve platform performance, power efficiency, reliability, and serviceability.
Summary Generated by Built In

We are looking for a New College Graduate SoC Software Engineer to help shape the future of accelerated computing within SOC/Data Center/Automotive/Embedded. Imagine developing foundational technology for tomorrow’s AI factories, next-generation data centers, self driving cars and autonomous robots—and even data centers in space. You will join a world-class team building and maintaining software for complex heterogeneous computing systems that power groundbreaking AI, HPC, and accelerated computing workloads. Your work will span hardware, firmware, operating systems, and applications as you help bring sophisticated products from early silicon through deployment.

This is an opportunity to learn from some of the best engineers in the world while solving meaningful system-level challenges. If you are a creative software engineer who enjoys low-level technology, tackling difficult problems, and turning new ideas into working products, we want to hear from you!

What you’ll be doing:

  • Design and develop SoC software, validation solutions, and test frameworks for CPU, SoC, and GPU-based platforms. Your work may span user space, the kernel, firmware, and SoC boot software.
  • Build next-generation system validation and reliability software that supports the journey from virtual prototypes and first silicon to production-ready hardware, large-scale deployment, and rapid failure resolution.
  • Contribute to system software architecture and collaborate with internal teams to integrate new capabilities across the software stack.
  • Work closely with architecture, ASIC, firmware, platform, and new product introduction teams to understand requirements and bring new computing platforms to life.
  • Investigate challenging hardware and software issues, develop creative solutions, and improve the performance, reliability, power efficiency, and serviceability of our platforms.
  • Explore emerging technologies and industry standards, then apply what you learn to solve real-world engineering problems.

What we need to see:

  • Pursuing or recently completed a BS or MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field—or equivalent experience.
  • Strong C or C++ programming skills and an understanding of object-oriented design.
  • Familiarity with low-level systems software, device drivers and understanding of OS and computer architecture.
  • Strong problem-solving and debugging skills, with curiosity about how hardware and software work together.
  • Clear communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively in a team environment.

Ways to stand out from the crowd:

  • Knowledge of Linux systems or kernel internals.
  • Understanding of server, PC, embedded, or other complex computing architectures.
  • Experience with SoC development, pre-silicon environments, silicon bring-up, or hardware validation through coursework, research, internships, or personal projects.
  • Experience contributing to a team software project, open-source project, technical competition, or substantial personal project.
  • Exposure to AI, automation, or data-driven techniques for accelerating validation, analyzing failures, or improving system reliability.

Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions. The base salary range is 108,000 USD - 178,250 USD for Level 1, and 124,000 USD - 195,500 USD for Level 2.

You will also be eligible for equity and benefits.

Applications for this job will be accepted at least until October 17, 2026.

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

  • Pursuing or recently completed a BS or MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field, or equivalent experience
  • Strong C or C++ programming skills
  • Understanding of object-oriented design
  • Familiarity with low-level systems software and device drivers
  • Understanding of operating systems and computer architecture
  • Strong problem-solving and debugging skills
  • Clear communication and effective team collaboration skills
  • Knowledge of Linux systems or kernel internals
  • Understanding of server, PC, embedded, or other complex computing architectures
  • Experience with SoC development, pre-silicon environments, silicon bring-up, or hardware validation
  • Experience contributing to a team software, open-source, competition, or substantial personal project
  • Exposure to AI, automation, or data-driven techniques for validation, failure analysis, or system reliability

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.

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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

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The Company
HQ: Santa Clara, CA
21,960 Employees
Year Founded: 1993

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.”

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