Principal R&D Software Architect – Machine Learning, VLSI Full-time

NVIDIA’s success builds on a foundation of industry leading hardware. We achieve distinction through extensive design optimization, including combining the best of external EDA with highly optimized, internal EDA tools. Our team develops these tools by fusing advances in parallel computing, machine learning, and specialized algorithms for VLSI design.

We are seeking an innovative R&D software architect with particular expertise in the application of machine learning to EDA, especially in early prediction and optimization of physical design and timing. If you like to work across many technical areas and see your successes directly realized in the world’s best AI hardware, this is it! Developing software within a leading hardware company means getting to almost exclusively focus on the latest processes and most advanced designs. We’re not bogged down by legacy support, niche roles, or convoluted approval processes. Our developers enjoy unusually high intellectual freedom and the ability to explore broad roles.

What you’ll be doing:

• Invent and optimize new methods for chip- and block-level floorplanning with PPA (performance, power, area) optimization, across a suite of internal tools. These tools already outperform the industry’s alternatives in high-capacity analysis and optimization and will advance even further with your contributions.
• Particularly focus on algorithms that apply your experience with LLMs (Large Language Models), GANs (Generative Adversarial Networks), GNNs (Graph Neural Networks), RL (Reinforcement Learning), and other modern machine learning strategies.
• Translate novel ML ideas into practical, complete, and useful solutions to physical design problems, particularly at architectural and RTL level.
• As with any software engineering team, we do write a lot of code, but this is broader than a typical CAD or EDA role. Instead, we as a team own the whole process from discovery and invention of new optimization opportunities, to developing solutions and working directly inside design teams to facilitate deployment.

What we need to see:

• PhD or equivalent experience in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science.
• Minimum 12+ years experience in CAD software development with at least 3 years in applications of advanced machine learning.
• Proven prior success in developing and applying advanced ML models to chip design, including multiple examples using GNNs, GANs, and/or LLMs.
• Product focus: although publication has its place, our group most recognizes innovations that are deployable to future products. As such, understanding the challenges and corresponding strategies for full-scale deployment is important.
• Demonstrated ability in software development using C++.
• Thorough VLSI understanding related to PPA with particularly advanced knowledge in one or more PPA-related optimization algorithms.
• Familiarity with design implementation tools required to prove and debug ideas, such as Fusion Compiler, PrimeTime, ICC2, and Innovus, as well as exposure to implementation flows commonly in Python, Tcl, and/or Perl.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

Ways to stand out from the crowd:

• C++14 or newer experience, such as lambdas and concurrency.
• Formal understanding of traditional optimization techniques and principles, including A*, simulated annealing, gradient descent, differentiability, stochastic processes, and how these compare and combine with various ML strategies.
• Advanced understanding of floorplan representation, timing modeling, and fast global placement and routing algorithms.
• In general, an obsession with performance and the practical skills to build highly innovative software for world leading hardware.

NVIDIA is widely considered to be one of the technology world’s most desirable employers, and due to outstanding growth, our teams are rapidly growing. Are you passionate about becoming a part of a best-in-class team supporting the latest in GPU and AI technology? If so, we want to hear from you!

The base salary range is 232,000 USD – 356,500 USD. Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions.

You will also be eligible for equity and benefits. NVIDIA accepts applications on an ongoing basis.

NVIDIA is committed to fostering a diverse 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.