Senior Software Engineer - Kernel & Device Drivers

Overview

Samba Nova is seeking a Senior Software Engineer to develop kernel‑level drivers and low‑level software for high‑speed IO and memory subsystems within the Data Scale® platform and RDU architecture.

You will enable system bring‑up, debug complex cross‑layer issues, and deliver production‑quality software that scales across systems and deployments. Working across kernel, firmware, and hardware, you will build robust, maintainable drivers and frameworks supporting validation, manufacturing, and system performance.

This is a hands‑on role for an engineer with strong low‑level programming skills, solid hardware understanding, and a focus on reliability, performance, and code quality.

Kernel & Driver Development

• Develop and maintain kernel‑space drivers for high‑speed IO and memory subsystems
• Enable platform bring‑up and support driver integration across new silicon and system configurations
• Write clean, maintainable, production‑quality code and drive code reviews

System Bring‑Up & Debug

• Support system bring‑up from early silicon through production
• Debug complex issues across kernel, firmware, and hardware layers
• Drive issues to root cause and resolution in collaboration with cross‑functional teams

PHY & Hardware Interaction

• Support PHY initialization and validation across high‑speed interfaces
• Debug issues related to IO, memory, and PHY subsystems in coordination with hardware teams
• Interpret hardware specifications and schematics to guide bring‑up and debug

Performance & Validation Software

• Develop tools and frameworks for performance analysis, validation, and manufacturing test
• Identify system bottlenecks and implement optimizations across driver and system layers
• Enable post‑silicon validation through software automation and infrastructure

• BS/MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field
• 5+ years of experience in kernel or low‑level system software development
• Familiar with Linux kernel, drivers, user space libraries, and applications with strong Linux fundamentals
• Strong C/C++ programming and debugging skills; scripting experience (Python, shell)
• Experience with high‑speed IO or interconnects such as PCIe, Ethernet, or similar technologies
• Experience with system bring‑up and hardware‑software co‑debug
• Experience with manufacturing test flows
• Familiarity with development tools such as Git, Docker, Jenkins, or Bazel
• Familiarity with build systems and tool chains (GCC, LLVM, Make, CMake)
• Strong ownership and ability to drive issues to resolution
• Clear communicator with a collaborative, problem‑solving mindset

• Experience with PHY bring‑up and initialization
• Ability to read and understand hardware specifications and register‑level documentation
• Exposure to pre‑silicon validation (FPGA, emulation) and post‑silicon bring‑up
• Familiarity with board schematics and low‑level hardware interaction
• Solid debugging skills using logs, trace tools (GDB), JTAG, or hardware debuggers
• Background in high‑performance or accelerator‑based systems

$120,000—$200,000 USD

Samba Nova Systems is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard basis of age (40 and over), color, disability, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, national origin/ancestry, race, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding), sexual orientation, and any other applicable status protected by federal, state, or local laws.

Samba Nova offers a competitive total rewards package, including the base salary, plus equity and benefits. We cover 95% premium coverage for employee medical insurance, and 77% premium coverage for dependents and offer a Health Savings Account (HSA) with employer contribution. We also offer Dental, Vision, Short/Long term Disability, Basic Life, Voluntary Life, and AD&D insurance plans in addition to Flexible Spending Account (FSA) options like Health Care, Limited Purpose, and Dependent Care.

Our library of well‑being benefits available to you and your dependents includes a full subscription to Headspace, Gympass+ membership with access to physical gyms, One Medical membership, counseling services with an Employee Assistance Program, and much more.