Principal Software Development Engineer - CA, San Jose, United States
$200,900 - $344,400 USD yearly
Originally posted 7 May 2026 by the employer.
Focus on MLIR fused model compilers executing on NPU/GPU hardware.
About the role
This role delivers software systems engineering for product development, definition, and root cause resolution on the Systems Design Engineering team. Technical work focuses on MLIR fused model compilers executing on NPU/GPU hardware.
What you'll do
- Design and implement compilers based on MLIR fused model to execute on NPU/GPU effectively. - Debug issues found during system integration to deliver accurate results. - Optimize performance using techniques such as fusion and tiling strategies. - Work across multiple teams and track test execution to ensure all features are validated and optimized on time.
What you'll need
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in electrical or computer engineering. - Experience delivering software systems engineering across product development, definition, and root cause resolution. - Experience with compilers, system integration, and performance optimization techniques like fusion and tiling.
Nice to have
- Programming or scripting skills in C/C++, Perl, Ruby, or Python. - Debug techniques and methodologies. - Extensive knowledge of system architecture, technical debug, and validation strategy.
Skills: compilers, MLIR, NPU/GPU, system architecture, performance optimization
This role has been open 170 days — well above the 65-day median for Systems Software Engineering roles.
Systems Software Engineering · Systems Software
|
Open roles in category
680
|
Median days open
65 d
|
Median salary
$209k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, skills in demand, and who else is hiring
| Metric | AMD | All employers we track in this specialty (680 roles · 71 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 58 | 680 |
| Open roles in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family | 389 | 6277 · 144 employers |
| Median days open | 53 d | 65 d (−12 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $209k |
Skills observed across this category: compilers, MLIR, NPU/GPU, system architecture, performance optimization
Who's hiring in this category
- Qualcomm · 176 open roles · median 82 d
- NVIDIA · 134 open roles · median 44 d
- AMD (this employer) · 58 open roles · median 53 d
- Mobileye · 23 open roles · median 88 d
- Arm Holdings · 20 open roles · median 122 d
- Broadcom · 19 open roles · median 61 d
How we counted: 680 open Systems Software Engineering (Systems Software) roles from 71 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 25 Oct 2026. Specialty figures count only roles carrying this exact specialty label, so an employer's related work in neighbouring specialties is not included there — it is counted in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family row. Figures refresh nightly.