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Senior Systems Software Engineer Jobs in California

Xoriant Corporation

Systems Software Engineer

San Jose, CA · On-site

$202K - $240K/yr

San Jose, CA (Onsite) Duration: 6+ months contract Role and Responsibilities As a Senior System Software Engineer, you will join the GPU Software Validation team and help enhance and scale continuous ...

Zoo

Senior Systems Software Engineer

Los Angeles, CA · On-site +1

$145K - $195K/yr

Able to operate autonomously and work asynchronously, while also being an effective team player About The Role We're looking for a Senior Systems Software Engineer who can take ownership of the ...

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Senior Systems Software Engineer information

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$86.4K

$133.5K

$187K

How much do senior systems software engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 16, 2026, the average yearly pay for senior systems software engineer in California is $133,518.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $104,600.00 and $157,900.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a Senior Systems Software Engineer?

A Senior Systems Software Engineer is an experienced professional who designs, develops, and maintains system-level software such as operating systems, embedded systems, and network protocols. They are responsible for ensuring that software interacts efficiently with hardware, optimizing performance, and troubleshooting complex issues. Senior engineers often lead technical projects, mentor junior team members, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver robust software solutions.

What are some common challenges faced by Senior Systems Software Engineers and how can they be addressed?

Senior Systems Software Engineers often encounter challenges such as integrating legacy systems with modern technologies, optimizing system performance under tight resource constraints, and ensuring robust security in complex environments. These challenges can be addressed by staying current with industry best practices, collaborating closely with cross-functional teams (like DevOps and Security), and regularly participating in code reviews and architecture discussions. Leveraging automation tools and maintaining thorough documentation also help in efficiently managing and scaling large, distributed systems.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Senior Systems Software Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Senior Systems Software Engineer, you need deep expertise in computer science, operating systems, and programming languages like C/C++, often supported by a relevant degree and extensive experience. Familiarity with version control systems (e.g., Git), build automation tools, and debugging/profiling utilities is typically required, and certifications in systems programming or cloud platforms can be advantageous. Exceptional problem-solving, collaboration, and communication skills set standout engineers apart by enabling them to navigate complex systems and coordinate effectively with cross-functional teams. These skills are vital for building robust, efficient software solutions that meet business and technical requirements in demanding environments.
What cities in California are hiring for Senior Systems Software Engineer jobs? Cities in California with the most Senior Systems Software Engineer job openings:
Infographic showing various Senior Systems Software Engineer job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 92% Full Time, 4% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $133,518 per year, or $64.2 per hour.

Senior Systems Software Engineer

Zoo

Los Angeles, CA

Other

Re-posted 10 days ago

Job description

About The Role

We're looking for a Senior Systems Software Engineer who can take ownership of the reliability, automation, and evolution of our core systems. You'll work across the stack, with a strong emphasis on backend, infrastructure, and system-level engineering, to strengthen the foundations that everything else runs on. This role is for someone who enjoys digging into complex systems, building the tooling and automation that keep them running smoothly, and stepping in anywhere (including the frontend) when something needs fixing.

What You'll Do
  • Design, implement, and maintain core systems and services that support our platform's reliability, performance, and scalability.
  • Build automation and tooling that reduce operational overhead, improve developer workflows, and enforce system-level consistency.
  • Develop integrations between our systems and external platforms (e.g., billing, CRM, authentication, analytics).
  • Improve observability, monitoring, and alerting across services to ensure strong operational visibility.
  • Architect and maintain infrastructure components (e.g., distributed services, data pipelines, deployment automation).
  • Contribute to security-focused systems work, such as permissions controls, access flows, and auditability.
  • Troubleshoot issues across services and layers, backend, infrastructure, and occasionally frontend, taking full ownership from diagnosis to resolution.
  • Jump into frontend code as needed to close the loop on system-level changes or fix issues that block broader system reliability.
What You'll Need
  • B.S. in Computer Science or a related field, or equivalent experience.
  • Strong professional experience in systems, platform, or infrastructure engineering.
  • Proficiency in Rust with a solid understanding of systems-level programming.
  • Solid experience with databases (transactional & analytical) including schema design, performance tuning, migrations, and operational reliability.
  • Strong understanding of API design, data flows, and service integrations.
  • Hands-on experience with distributed systems or service-oriented architectures.
  • Comfort working with infrastructure-as-code and containerized deployments.
  • Ability to work autonomously and make high-leverage technical decisions in a fast-moving environment.
  • A bias toward automation and building tools that remove friction.
Nice to Have
  • Experience with frontend development (JavaScript/React) for occasional UI-level fixes.
  • Background with billing systems (Stripe) or CRM platforms.
  • Experience building internal tooling, permissions systems, or developer productivity infrastructure.
  • Familiarity with CAD-adjacent workflows or domain-specific data pipelines.

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