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Kernel Driver Software Engineer

Etched· Software
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San Jose$150k - $350kFull-timePosted 3mo ago

About the role

Kernel-mode driver development for ML accelerators, focusing on low latency, high throughput, security, and virtualization in an on-site San Jose role.

Responsibilities

  • Design, develop, and maintain kernel-mode drivers ensuring high reliability, informative debug, and optimal performance.
  • Analyze and optimize driver performance for demanding AI workloads, focusing on minimizing latency and maximizing throughput.
  • Collaborate closely with hardware engineers throughout the ASIC design process.
  • Implement driver support for device virtualization technologies, including SR-IOV, VFIO, and para-virtualization.
  • Implement efficient memory management strategies considering kernel memory mapping, page tables configuration, NUMA awareness for device data caching, and IOMMU configuration.
  • Build kernel drivers fundamentally designed to support and maintain security across host processes, physical memory spaces, and device attestation.
  • Diagnose and resolve complex driver-related issues, using common kernel debugging tools and techniques (ftrace, dmesg, etc.) to identify and fix bugs.
  • Design and implement synchronization mechanisms to handle concurrent access to multiple accelerators.
  • Develop and execute comprehensive test plans to validate driver functionality, stability, and performance in manufacturing and in general production environments.
  • Collaborate with software and hardware teams to diagnose and resolve complex system-level issues.

Qualifications

  • Proficiency in C/C++.
  • Strong understanding of kernel-mode driver development and debugging.
  • Deep understanding of operating system internals (Linux preferred).
  • Experience with hardware/software interfacing and device drivers.
  • Experience with memory management and synchronization in kernel environments.
  • Strong understanding of PCIe and other hardware interfaces.
  • Experience with device virtualization technologies, including SR-IOV and VFIO.
  • Strong understanding of kernel memory mapping, page table configuration, and IOMMU.
  • Familiarity with hardware-software co-design principles.
  • Proven ability to analyze complex technical problems and provide effective solutions.
  • Excellent communication and collaboration skills.
  • Experience with version control systems (e.g., Git).
  • Experience with debugging tools (e.g., gdb, kgdb).

Skills

Required:C/C++Kernel-mode driver developmentOperating system internalsPCIe and hardware interfacesDevice virtualization (SR-IOV, VFIO)Memory management and synchronization in kernelKernel memory mapping and IOMMUDebugging tools (ftrace, dmesg, gdb, kgdb)Hardware-software co-design

Benefits

  • Medical, dental, and vision packages with generous premium coverage
  • $500 per month credit for waiving medical benefits
  • Housing subsidy of $2,500 per month for those living within walking distance of the office
  • Relocation support for those moving to San Jose (Santana Row)
  • Various wellness benefits covering fitness, mental health, and more
  • Daily lunch + dinner in our office
  • Unlimited compute budget subject to ROI justification
Last updated Oct 15, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.
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About Etched

Etched is building frontier inference clusters: co-designs chips, racks, software and manufacturing to push the pareto frontier for AI hardware.

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