AI Software Engineer: Intelligent Data Infrastructure

Own Every Moment at NetApp

At NetApp, your ideas power innovation. We lead in intelligent data infrastructure—delivering unified storage, integrated data services, and solutions that help organizations unlock the full potential of their data, from AI to multicloud.

Ready to innovate and contribute to our path to $10B? Here, you'll collaborate with passionate teams, tackle real-world challenges, and see your impact in how customers transform and grow. If you're ready to bring curiosity, creativity, and drive to every moment, NetApp is where your journey begins.

The Mission: Power the Next Generation of AI

We are standing at an inflection point. AI is transforming every industry, but beneath every breakthrough model lies a critical foundation that few see and even fewer master: the data infrastructure that makes intelligent systems possible.

These positions require 3 days in office per week in one of the following offices: Boulder, CO or Pittsburgh, PA or Raleigh, NC or San Jose, CA.

The Office of the Chief Platform and Technology Officer is assembling an elite team of AI Infrastructure Engineers to build the future of intelligent data systems. We don't just store data—we architect the substrate that powers AI factories, from GPU clusters running training workloads to real-time inference pipelines serving billions of requests.

This is not a maintenance role. This is a creation role. You will design the systems that enable enterprises to deploy AI at an unprecedented scale, leveraging NetApp's new AI Data Engine (AIDE) and AFX disaggregated storage architecture.

The Opportunity: Shape what comes next and oin us to solve challenges that exist at the absolute frontier of computer science.

• Build AI-Native Infrastructure Lead the architecture of next-generation storage systems optimized for AI workloads. Design high-performance data pipelines for massive-scale model training, implement intelligent caching for KV stores, and optimize data planes for GPU clusters. Your work will directly accelerate how quickly organizations can move from data to deployed intelligence.

• Pioneer Forward-Looking Research Work at the intersection of distributed systems, AI, and storage. Investigate novel approaches to scalable AI inferencing systems, semantic data discovery, and data curation systems. Turn proof-of-concepts into production systems that redefine industry standards.

• Amplify Your Impact with AI We don't just build AI—we use it. Leverage Cursor, Claude Code, and emerging AI development tools to accelerate your workflow, automate repetitive tasks, and focus on solving problems that matter. You'll operate at the cutting edge of "vibe coding" while maintaining the rigor of production-grade engineering.

What You'll Bring

You are a generalist with depth—someone who moves fluidly between AI technologies and distributed system architectures, who gets energy from ambiguous problems, and who possesses what we call "fearless curiosity".

You thrive when:

• Ownership is total: You own problems end-to-end, from architecture to production operations, and take pride in systems that run flawlessly at scale
• Change is constant: You view rapid technological shifts as opportunities to add structure and clarity, not as obstacles
• Learning is relentless: You have a rich life of "side quests"—self-driven projects that demonstrate your curiosity beyond your day job.
• AI is a multiplier: You view AI coding assistants and generative tools as force multipliers that let you tackle complexity that was previously impossible

You bring:

• Deep systems expertise: Mastery of Golang, Python, and C/C++, with an intuitive understanding of file systems, advanced data structures, and algorithms. You understand that storage isn't just about bits on disk—it's about enabling the next wave of intelligent applications
• AI infrastructure fluency: Deep knowledge of AI Infra: Kubernetes, operating systems, Storage systems and distributed systems.
• Quantitative intuition: The ability to build simplified performance models, identify bottlenecks through deep analysis, and design for scalability from first principles
• Growth mindset: For yourself, your team, and the organization. You balance optimism with realism, make smart bets, and understand that some experiments will fail fast while others will drive the company forward

What You'll Create

• AI Data Architectures: Design storage and networking systems that connect structured and unstructured data to LLMs with unprecedented performance, enabling real-time inference and massive-scale training
• Intelligent Storage Systems: Build the next generation of ONTAP capabilities, focusing on AI-specific optimizations like vector store integration, semantic search, and automated data curation
• High-Performance Infrastructure: Develop systems capable of TB/s throughput and EB-scale data management, supporting the world's most demanding AI factories
• AI-Augmented Engineering: Pioneer internal tooling and workflows that use AI to accelerate development, from automated code review to intelligent debugging systems
• Cross-Functional Impact: Partner with hardware engineers, product managers, and researchers to deliver groundbreaking intelligent storage solutions that power everything from autonomous vehicles to pharmaceutical discovery

Your Qualifications

Technical Mastery:

• 8+ years of software development experience with a focus on systems, infrastructure, or storage technologies
• Expert-level proficiency in Golang, Python, and C/C++
• Deep understanding of Linux kernel development, file systems, and distributed systems
• Experience with performance analysis, optimization techniques, and building quantitative models
• Familiarity with AI/ML infrastructure concepts: GPU computing, model serving, data pipelines, vector databases

Mindset & Approach:

• Bold Ideas, Grounded Execution: You dream big but ship with precision
• Relentless Curiosity: An insatiable desire to understand how things work and how to make them better
• Collaborative Excellence: You elevate everyone around you through mentorship, knowledge sharing, and constructive feedback
• AI Fluency: Confidence in using AI tools to accelerate all aspects of your work

Preferred Experience:

• Building or optimizing storage systems for AI/ML workloads
• Working with high-performance computing (HPC) environments or GPU clusters
• Knowledge of network protocols, RDMA, and high-speed interconnects
• Experience with agile methodologies and rapid prototyping

Education:

• Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, Engineering, or equivalent experience. We value what you've built and what you know over credentials alone.

This is a pipeline requisition used to recruit for multiple openings across Levels 3, 4, and 5. Candidates will be evaluated and assigned to the appropriate level based on their qualifications, skills, and years of relevant experience.

Compensation:
The target salary range for this position is 130,900 - 194,700 USD. The salary offered will be determined by the candidate's location, qualifications, experience, and education and may be outside of this range. Final compensation packages are competitive and in line with industry standards, reflecting a variety of factors, and include a comprehensive benefits package. This may cover Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Retirement or Pension Plans, Paid Time Off, various Leave options, Performance-Based Incentives, employee stock purchase plan, and/or restricted stocks (RSU's), with all offerings subject to regional variations and governed by local laws, regulations, and company policies. Benefits may vary by country and region, and further details will be provided as part of the recruitment process.

At NetApp, we embrace a hybrid working environment designed to strengthen connection, collaboration, and culture for all employees. This means that most roles will have some level of in-office and/or in-person expectations, which will be shared during the recruitment process.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

NetApp is firmly committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and to compliance with all federal, state and local laws that prohibit employment discrimination based on age, race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, disability or genetic information, pregnancy, protected veteran status, and any other protected classification.

Why You'll Thrive at NetApp

At NetApp, you won't wait for the perfect moment—you'll make it. The early planning, the extra thought, the bold idea that turns good into great: That's how our people operate and how we continue to push the boundaries of data infrastructure.

NetApp is the trusted partner for organizations transforming data into opportunity. As the only enterprise-grade storage service natively embedded in Google Cloud, AWS, and Microsoft Azure, we empower customers to run everything from traditional workloads to enterprise AI with unmatched performance, resilience, and security.

Our culture

We celebrate mold breakers, bold thinkers, and problem solvers. We reward initiative, impact, and ownership. We provide flexibility so you can balance professional ambition with your personal life. Here, differences are not just welcomed—they drive everything we do.

If you're ready to innovate, rise to the challenge, and own every moment - make your next move your best one. Apply now.