Skip to content
OpenAIOpenAI

Systems Software Engineer, Silicon Bringup

Leads systems software bringup and validation for new AI silicon, developing diagnostics, automation, observability, and stress infrastructure from first power-on through integrated model execution. The role requires low-level programming, computer architecture knowledge, hardware-software debugging, and cross-functional technical leadership.

About the job

Responsibilities

  • Develop end-to-end software bringup and validation strategies for new AI silicon and first-party systems.
  • Define software-driven test coverage across compute, memory, interconnect, I/O, and system-level interactions.
  • Build diagnostics, test automation, telemetry, and regression infrastructure.
  • Lead bringup from initial silicon arrival through board and system integration, docking, runtime enablement, and model execution.
  • Design stress tests to characterize reliability, performance, and stability across workloads and operating conditions.
  • Translate architecture specifications and performance models into measurable acceptance criteria, coverage goals, and pass/fail signals.
  • Debug hardware-software failures, drive root-cause analysis, and coordinate fixes across silicon, firmware, electrical, platform, and workload teams.
  • Validate integrated-system functionality and model performance, and create reusable infrastructure for future silicon generations.

Requirements

  • Strong systems programming experience in C, C++, Rust, Python, or comparable low-level environments.
  • Experience bringing up or validating complex silicon, accelerators, servers, or other hardware-software systems.
  • Understanding of computer architecture and compute, memory, interconnect, and I/O subsystems.
  • Low-level debugging experience across firmware, drivers, operating systems, and hardware interfaces.
  • Ability to create rigorous test strategies, identify coverage gaps, and build scalable automation and observability.
  • Experience with performance characterization, stress testing, reliability testing, or production readiness.
  • Clear cross-disciplinary communication and the ability to drive ambiguous, high-stakes technical work from planning through closure.
  • Commitment to building durable tools and processes that improve future bringup cycles.

Compensation

  • Annual salary range: $266,000–$445,000.
  • Candidates may need to meet legal status requirements under U.S. export control laws and regulations.

Skills

C, C++, Rust, Python, Computer Architecture, Firmware, Device Drivers, Operating Systems, Hardware Interfaces, Test Automation, Telemetry, Regression Testing, Performance Characterization, Stress Testing, Reliability Testing

OpenAI

OpenAI

San Francisco, CA

Software Engineer, AI Accelerator Runtime
$266k+/yrHybridEmbedded Engineering

Build the low-level runtime for a custom AI accelerator, including kernel scheduling, device memory management, synchronization, and hardware-software interfaces. The role requires strong systems programming experience and expertise in concurrency, memory semantics, simulation, and performance debugging.

OpenAI

OpenAI

San Francisco, CA

Operating Systems Engineer | Consumer Devices
$230k+/yrOn-siteEmbedded Engineering

Build and harden OS foundations for AI consumer devices, spanning kernel, services, security, performance, and application interfaces. Requires strong systems programming in C/C++, kernel experience, and debugging skills.

Applied Intuition

Applied Intuition

Sunnyvale, CA

Perception & Fusion Engineer
$200k+/yrOn-site5+ YOEEmbedded Engineering

Develops real-time perception, sensor-control, and fusion software for heterogeneous autonomous vehicle platforms, integrating ML algorithms across sensors and embedded systems. Requires advanced engineering education or 5+ years of relevant experience, multi-modal sensing expertise, Linux/Docker proficiency, and U.S. security-clearance eligibility.

Zoox

Zoox

Foster City, CA

Software Engineer - Robot Software Infrastructure
$196k+/yrHybrid4+ YOEEmbedded Engineering

Develops operating-system platforms, device drivers, and infrastructure for autonomous-vehicle robotics systems. The role requires 4+ years of production software experience, strong Linux internals expertise, and proficiency in C/C++ plus scripting languages.

Applied Intuition

Applied Intuition

Sunnyvale, CA

Software Engineer
$188k+/yrOn-site3+ YOEEmbedded Engineering

Develops reliable embedded software and custom device solutions, integrating vendor components, sensors, operating systems, and communication interfaces. Requires a bachelor's degree and at least three years of relevant experience with C/C++, embedded Linux, debugging, and CI/CD tools.