Distinguished Engineer - Data Center System Software Architect (Santa Clara)

NVIDIA data center systems, such as DGX and HGX, have become core to NVIDIA's rapidly growing enterprise and cloud provider businesses. These platforms bring together the full power of NVIDIA GPUs, NVIDIA NVLink, NVIDIA InfiniBand networking, NVIDIA Grace CPUs, and a fully optimized NVIDIA AI and HPC software stack. We’re looking for a strong technical architect to own the end-to-end architecture of these products, at the system software level.Including firmware, kernel drivers, operating systems, and user mode drivers. You will work with component leads internally and engage with industry leading cloud service providers on taking these products to market.What you’ll be doing:Serve as the primary technical point of contact for major customers, leading technological discussions, defining KPIs, gathering requirements, and addressing complex technical queries.As a system software architect, lead technical innovation and strategic collaborations with major hyperscalers to architect next-generation data center products.Align NVIDIA's roadmap with major customers' requirements through direct engagement.Develop and drive adoption of new technologies and protocols.Make critical technical decisions in ambiguous situations, mitigating risks through left-shift strategies.What we need to see:Deep expertise in scalable and performant server system architecture, focusing on SW/HW interfaces.Extensive experience with complex system software for accelerators (GPUs, DPUs, FPGAs).Mastery of system firmware (SBIOS, OpenBMC), embedded systems, and Linux kernel internals.Proficiency in Out-of-Band and In-Band management architectures, device management protocols (e.g., MCTP, PLDM, SPDM, RDE) and system management protocols (Redfish, IPMI).Extensive knowledge of networking technologies and protocols, including TCP/IP, Ethernet, InfiniBand, as well as advanced switching and routing conceptsExperience collaborating with platform security experts to define tradeoffs between security and ease of use.Demonstrated success in leading complex, cross-functional projects to completion, showcasing the ability to influence and achieve results without direct authority in large-scale, collaborative environments. Demonstrable experience in implementing left shift strategy to de-risk program execution.BS or MS degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering or related field (or equivalent experience).20+ years in the area of System architecture and design.Ways to stand out from the crowd:Knowledge of cloud and cluster level deployment and management systems. Participation and contributions in standards bodies such as OCP and DMTF.Familiarity with NVIDIA HPC programming models and libraries (CUDA, cuDNN, DOCA)Knowledge of enterprise storage architectures and distributed parallel processing paradigmsNVIDIA is leading the way in groundbreaking developments in Artificial Intelligence, High-Performance Computing and Visualization. The GPU, our invention, serves as the visual cortex of modern computers and is at the heart of our products and services. We have some of the most forward-thinking and hardworking people on the planet working for us. If you're creative, passionate and self-motivated, we want to hear from you!NVIDIA’s invention of the GPU in 1999 fueled the growth of the PC gaming market, redefined modern computer graphics, and revolutionized parallel computing. More recently, GPU deep learning ignited modern deep learning — 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, we are increasingly known as “the AI computing company.” We're looking to grow our company and establish teams with the most thoughtful people in the world. Are you ready to change the next generation of computing? Join us at the forefront of technological advancement.Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions. The base salary range is 320,000 USD - 488,750 USD.You will also be eligible for equity and benefits.Applications for this job will be accepted at least until July 21, 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.SummaryLocation: US, CA, Santa ClaraType: Full time