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Nvidia Jobs in Champaign, IL (NOW HIRING)

NVIDIA is seeking a Sr. Principal Systems Software Engineer for the Apache Spark Acceleration group. GPU accelerated data processing has moved from proof of concept to production deployments.

NVIDIA has been transforming computer graphics, PC gaming, and accelerated computing for more than 25 years. It's a unique legacy of innovation that's fueled by great technology-and amazing people.

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$16

$53

$73

How much do nvidia jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 27, 2026, the average hourly pay for nvidia in Champaign, IL is $53.22, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $42.36 and $66.68 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does Nvidia do as a company?

Nvidia is a technology company known primarily for designing graphics processing units (GPUs) used in gaming, professional visualization, data centers, and automotive markets. Their products power everything from high-end video games to artificial intelligence, machine learning, and self-driving cars. Nvidia also develops system-on-a-chip units for the mobile computing and automotive market, and has expanded into software platforms for AI and deep learning applications.

What can a new employee at Nvidia expect in terms of collaboration and teamwork across different departments?

At Nvidia, collaboration is a central part of the company culture. New employees often work on cross-functional teams that bring together engineers, designers, product managers, and marketing professionals to drive innovation. You can expect regular meetings, brainstorming sessions, and opportunities to learn from experts in various fields. This collaborative environment helps employees quickly build networks within the company and gain exposure to different aspects of Nvidia's business, fostering both professional growth and technical development.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an Nvidia software engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Nvidia Software Engineer, you need strong programming skills (e.g., C++, Python), a solid foundation in computer science, and typically a degree in a related field. Familiarity with GPU programming, CUDA, parallel computing frameworks, and version control systems like Git is highly valued. Strong problem-solving abilities, teamwork, and effective communication are crucial soft skills in this role. These competencies enable engineers to innovate and deliver high-performance solutions that drive Nvidia's cutting-edge technology.

What cities near Champaign, IL are hiring for Nvidia jobs?

Cities near Champaign, IL with the most Nvidia job openings:

Infographic showing various Nvidia job openings in Champaign, IL as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $110,690 per year, or $53.2 per hour.

Principal Systems Software Engineer

Nvidia

Champaign, IL

$135K - $181K/yr

Full-time

Re-posted 12 days ago


Nvidia rating

9.6

Company rating: 9.6 out of 10

Based on 18 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

7th of 246 rated software companies


Job description

NVIDIA is seeking a Sr. Principal Systems Software Engineer for the Apache Spark Acceleration group. GPU accelerated data processing has moved from proof of concept to production deployments. Enterprises now recognize the need for accelerated computing to handle large data processing needs. Multi-node GPU deployments will reduce cloud computing costs and lower latency batch ETL workloads.

At NVIDIA, we have been invested in accelerating Apache Spark, providing an open source plugin for Apache Spark. Apache Spark is the most popular data processing engine in data centers. We strive to accelerate Spark applications on GPUs without any code changes. Our OSS RAPIDS Spark library is integrated with on-premise and cloud services such as AWS EMR, Databricks, Google Dataproc, Oracle Cloud Data Flow, Bytedance Volcengine, Tencent Cloud and Cloudera. We are passionate about working on hard problems that have an impact. You will need to have strong programming skills, a deep understanding of software development related. You will work with a team that is using open source libraries like cuDF to accelerate reading, writing and batch data operations in Spark.

What you'll be doing:

  • Develop Java, Scala and CUDA/C++ libraries to accelerate DataFrames and I/O operations on common file formats such as Parquet, ORC and JSON

  • Enable interoperability with table formats such as Apache Iceberg and Delta Lake, and metastores such as Unity Catalog

  • Work with open source communities to enhance libraries like NVIDIA cuDF, CCCL and UCX through technical discussion and code contributions

  • Collaborate with distributed systems teams to craft solutions to distributed processing problems challenges at large scale

  • Provide recommendations and feedback to teams regarding decisions surrounding topics such as infrastructure, continuous integration and testing strategy

  • Build, test and optimize CUDA/C++ libraries across different platforms

What we need to see:

  • BS, MS, or PhD in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or closely related field (or equivalent experience)

  • 15+ years of work experience in software development

  • Outstanding technical skills in designing and implementing high-quality distributed systems

  • Excellent programming skills in C++, Java, and/or Scala

  • Ability to work with teams across organizational boundaries and geographies

  • Familiarity with the open source data platform ecosystem (Apache Spark, Velox, Presto, Apache Arrow, Apache DataFusion, etc.). Meaningful contributions to the OSS community a plus.

  • Highly motivated with strong interpersonal skills

  • Database query optimization is a strong plus

Your base salary will be determined based on your location, experience, and the pay of employees in similar positions. The base salary range is 272,000 USD - 431,250 USD.

You will also be eligible for equity and benefits.

Applications for this job will be accepted at least until July 19, 2026.

This posting is for an existing vacancy.

NVIDIA uses AI tools in its recruiting processes.

NVIDIA is committed to fostering an inclusive 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.#deeplearning

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About Nvidia

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

NVIDIA has been transforming computer graphics, PC gaming, and accelerated computing for more than 25 years. It's a unique legacy of innovation that's fueled by great technology--and amazing people. Today, we're tapping into the unlimited potential of AI to define the next era of computing. An era in which our GPU acts as the brains of computers, robots, and self-driving cars that can understand the world. Doing what's never been done before takes vision, innovation, and the world's best talent.

Industry

Computer and electronic product manufacturing

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Santa Clara, CA, US