Entry Level Software Developer Jobs in Santa Cruz, CA

Renesas is an embedded semiconductor solution provider driven by its Purpose 'To Make Our Lives Easier.' As the industry's leading expert in embedded processing with unmatched quality and system-level know-how, we have evolved to provide scalable and comprehensive semiconductor solutions for automotive, industrial, infrastructure, and IoT industries based on the broadest product portfolio, including High Performance Computing, Embedded Processing, Analog & Connectivity, and Power.

We are seeking a motivated Cloud DevOps and AI Security Engineer to help support, secure, and scale our emerging AI infrastructure and development pipeline. This role is designed for a recent graduate, a master's graduate, or an early-career professional with hands-on experience gained through coursework, internships, projects, or related work. In this role, you will work with developers and operations leads to implement secure cloud practices, maintain automated deployment pipelines, monitor security posture, document controls, and support the responsible use of AI-assisted engineering tools. This is an opportunity to build practical experience with Infrastructure as Code (IaC), continuous integration, DevSecOps practices, production web operations, cloud security, and secure AI-enabled development workflows.

Responsibilities

• AI Infrastructure and Pipeline Security: As we move to adopt a more AI / Agentic workflow you will help secure emerging AI infrastructure and AI-enabled development by supporting security checks, documenting controls, validating tool configurations, and escalating potential risks under guidance from senior team members.
• Security Monitoring: Review logs, alerts, system activity, and pipeline outputs to help identify, document, and escalate potential vulnerabilities or unusual behavior.
• Cloud Infrastructure Support: Assist in provisioning, configuring, and maintaining core AWS services such as VPC, EC2, S3, IAM, Lambda, Docker, and Kubernetes.
• Infrastructure as Code: Learn, update, and write basic Terraform, Serverless, or AWS CloudFormation templates under guidance from senior team members.
• Access Management: Help manage user permissions and access controls using AWS IAM and least-privilege principles.
• Team Collaboration: Work with developers, QA, and operations team members to troubleshoot issues, document findings, and support safe releases for customer-facing web platforms.
• Deployment Support: Help maintain and improve automated CI/CD pipelines to support safe, reliable, and repeatable software delivery.
• Documentation: Create and maintain clear technical documentation for architecture diagrams, deployment processes, access controls, and security protocols.

Required Technical Skills

• Cloud Fundamentals: Foundational understanding of AWS services, cloud computing concepts, networking basics, IAM, security groups, and common web infrastructure patterns.
• Cloud Security Fundamentals: Basic familiarity with least privilege, access controls, encryption, secrets management, logging, and secure configuration practices.
• Security Monitoring and Triage: Ability to review logs, alerts, system activity, and pipeline outputs, document findings clearly, and escalate potential risks.
• Automation Exposure: Basic experience with scripting languages such as Python or Bash to automate repetitive operational or security-related tasks.
• Version Control: Familiarity with Git workflows, Bitbucket pipelines, pull requests, branching strategies, and change tracking.
• AI-Assisted Engineering: Awareness of how AI coding assistants and automation tools can be used responsibly, including protecting sensitive information, validating tool outputs, documenting AI-assisted changes, and following approved safe-use practices.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience: 0-2 years of experience in IT support, systems administration, cloud operations, cybersecurity, software engineering, web operations, or a junior DevOps role.
• Certifications: Relevant entry-level certifications, such as AWS Cloud Practitioner, CompTIA Security+, or equivalent, are helpful but not required.

Education

• Degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Software Engineering, Information Systems, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Coursework, internships, graduate research, capstone projects, or hands-on work involving cloud security, DevSecOps, secure software development, application security, AI infrastructure, or responsible use of AI coding assistants are highly desirable.

The expected annual base salary range for this position is $65,000 to $85,000. This range does not include potential short-term or long-term incentive compensation. Actual compensation may vary based on relevant experience, skills, qualifications, geographic location, and other job-related factors.

Renesas is an embedded semiconductor solution provider driven by its Purpose, To Make Our Lives Easier. With a global team of over 21,000 engineers and problem solvers in more than 30 countries, we offer the opportunity to work on worldleading technology for Automotive, Industrial, Infrastructure, and IoT, shaping a safer, healthier, greener, and smarter future.

At Renesas, TAGIE is our culture, grounded in being Transparent, Agile, Global, Innovative, and Entrepreneurial. It shapes how we work, grow and deliver on our purpose together. This collaborative spirit and mindset drive our semiconductor technology to transform industries and impact millions of lives.

We believe in rewarding our employees with a competitive benefits package alongside their salary. More information will be provided during the hiring process.

Are you ready to join our team and shape the future with us?

Renesas Electronics is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer, committed to supporting diversity and fostering a work environment free of discrimination on the basis of sex, race, religion, national origin, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, sexual orientation, military status, veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. For more information, please read our Diversity & Inclusion Statement.

Renesas Electronics deals with dual-use technology that is subject to U.S. export controls regulations. Under these regulations it may be necessary for Renesas to obtain U.S. government export license prior to release of technology to certain persons. The decision whether or not to file or pursue an export license application is at the sole discretion of Renesas.