Software Engineer - Core Systems & Storage

Salary: $120,000 - 280,000 per year Requirements:

• We need strong proficiency in C/C++ for systems-level software development.
• We need a solid grasp of data structures, algorithms, memory handling, and concurrency.
• We need experience with Unix or Linux systems programming.
• We need experience in one or more of these areas: filesystems, storage platforms, networking and protocol stacks, distributed systems, or high-availability architectures.
• We need strong debugging and performance analysis skills, including tools such as gdb, perf, tracing, and profiling utilities.
• We need the ability to produce maintainable, well-documented code.
• We need effective communication and collaboration skills.
• For Software Engineer 3, we need 5 to 8 years of experience and the ability to own defined components or features, deliver end-to-end functionality with guidance, and ramp quickly on ONTAP, WAFL, protocols, or storage technologies.
• For Software Engineer 4, we need 9 to 15 years of experience and the ability to design and own complex subsystems or multi-sprint initiatives, lead cross-team delivery with limited oversight, mentor less experienced engineers, and improve reliability, observability, and architecture patterns.
• For Software Engineer 5, we need 12 to 16 years of experience and the ability to lead major technical initiatives, define long-term architecture and technical strategy, solve highly complex system-wide issues, mentor senior engineers, and demonstrate deep expertise in filesystems, operating systems, replication, HA, or distributed systems.
• A bachelors or masters degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related discipline is preferred, though equivalent practical experience may be accepted.
• Experience with ONTAP, WAFL, or similar storage operating systems is highly valued.
• Experience with NFS, SMB, SAN, NVMe/TCP, or NVMe-oF is a strong plus.
• Experience with replication, clustering, HA, or consistency protocols will help you stand out.
• Familiarity with cloud platforms such as AWS, Azure, GCP, or OCI is beneficial.
• Exposure to kernel subsystems, VFS, I/O schedulers, caching, or media management is advantageous.
• Experience with distributed systems design and large-scale performance tuning is desirable.
• Knowledge of CI/CD, test automation, and modern development practices is a plus.

• We design, implement, and enhance features in ONTAP and related NetApp storage systems.
• We write efficient, reliable, and maintainable C/C++ code.
• We analyze existing code paths and improve performance, scalability, and correctness.
• We debug complex system-level issues using logs, tracing, profiling, and other diagnostic tools.
• We collaborate with filesystem, protocol, cloud, hardware, and QA teams.
• We participate in design and code reviews and help strengthen engineering best practices.
• We investigate performance bottlenecks and deliver optimizations.
• We support prototyping, research, and feasibility studies for new concepts and capabilities.
• We communicate design choices, technical conclusions, and project status clearly with peers.
• We use AI-assisted tools to speed up design, development, testing, and troubleshooting.
• At higher levels, we own complex subsystems or major initiatives, mentor other engineers, and influence architectural direction across teams.

• AI
• AWS
• Azure
• CI/CD
• Cloud
• GCP
• Hardware
• Support
• LESS
• Linux
• NFS
• SMB
• Unix
• Embedded
• Security

More:

We are NetApp, an intelligent data infrastructure company helping organizations unlock the full value of their data through unified storage, integrated data services, and multicloud-ready solutions. We support customers ranging from traditional workloads to enterprise AI, and we are working toward our path to $10B with teams that value curiosity, creativity, ownership, and impact. This role is part of our systems software engineering pipeline across multiple organizations, including ONTAP, WAFL, replication and high availability, protocols, distributed systems, cloud platforms, and performance engineering. We offer a competitive compensation package with salary determined by location, qualifications, experience, and education, along with a comprehensive benefits program that may include health, life, retirement, paid time off, leave options, stock purchase plans, and restricted stock units, subject to regional policies. We also support a hybrid working environment, with in-office expectations varying by role and location, and we foster an inclusive culture that values bold thinking, collaboration, and flexibility.

last updated 40 week of 2026