1

Smartnic Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Principal Software Engineer, SDN Networking

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

$158.40K - $212.40K/yr

In-depth understanding of TCP/IP and network accelerators like Mellanox/Nvidia SmartNIC (ConnectX6/7), DPU Bluefield3, and Intel IPU. * Familiarity with SR-IOV, vDPA, and scalable functions. * Strong ...

Senior Hardware Engineer

Cambridge, MA · On-site

$120.80K - $161.20K/yr

Partner with the best You'll focus on the SmartNIC/DPU software and hardware that underpins our compute and GPU servers. These DPUs offload CPU resources, improve isolation, and accelerate services ...

Senior Software Engineer

Cambridge, MA · On-site

$133.90K - $176.50K/yr

Partner with the best You'll focus on the SmartNIC/DPU software and hardware that underpins our compute and GPU servers. These DPUs offload CPU resources, improve isolation, and accelerate services ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

Smartnic information

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

To excel as a SmartNIC Engineer, you need a solid background in computer networking, hardware architecture, and programming (such as C/C++ or Verilog), often supported by a degree in computer engineering or a related field. Familiarity with network protocols, FPGA development tools, and SmartNIC platforms (like NVIDIA BlueField or Intel FPGA solutions) is typically required. Strong problem-solving abilities, collaboration, and adaptability are critical soft skills for innovating and integrating networking solutions. These competencies are essential for developing, optimizing, and deploying high-performance network interface cards that enable efficient, programmable data processing in modern data centers.

What are the typical daily responsibilities of a SmartNIC engineer and how do they interact with other teams?

A SmartNIC engineer typically spends their day designing, implementing, and testing network functions that run on programmable network interface cards. Their work often involves collaborating closely with software developers, network architects, and DevOps teams to ensure seamless integration of SmartNIC solutions into data center environments. Daily tasks may include writing and optimizing firmware, troubleshooting performance issues, and validating network security features. Communication and teamwork are key, as SmartNIC engineers must align their developments with broader network and business requirements.

What are SmartNICs and what do they do?

SmartNICs, or Smart Network Interface Cards, are advanced network cards that go beyond traditional NICs by offloading networking, storage, and security tasks from the main server CPU. They use onboard processors, such as FPGAs or ARM cores, to handle complex operations like packet filtering, encryption, and virtualization. This improves network performance, reduces latency, and frees up server resources for other tasks. SmartNICs are commonly used in data centers and cloud environments to enhance efficiency and scalability.

What is the difference between Smartnic vs Network Engineer?

AspectSmartnicNetwork Engineer
Required CredentialsCertifications like Cisco CCNA, CompTIA Network+Certifications like Cisco CCNA, CCNP, CompTIA Network+
Work EnvironmentData centers, hardware development, network infrastructureCorporate offices, ISPs, enterprise networks
Industry UsageNetworking hardware manufacturers, data center providersTelecommunications, IT services, enterprise networks

Smartnic and Network Engineer roles share overlapping certifications and work environments, but Smartnic specialists focus on hardware acceleration and network hardware design, while Network Engineers handle network setup, configuration, and troubleshooting. Both roles are vital in modern networking infrastructure, often collaborating within data centers and enterprise networks.

More about Smartnic jobs
What cities are hiring for Smartnic jobs? Cities with the most Smartnic job openings:
What states have the most Smartnic jobs? States with the most job openings for Smartnic jobs include:
Infographic showing various Smartnic job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 84% Physical, and 16% Remote job distribution.

Principal Software Engineer, SDN Networking

Crusoe

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$159.10K - $213.20K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 29 days ago


Job description

Crusoe is on a mission to accelerate the abundance of energy and intelligence. As the only vertically integrated AI infrastructure company built from the ground up, we own and operate each layer of the stack — from electrons to tokens — to power the world's most ambitious AI workloads. When you join Crusoe, you join a team that is building the future, faster.

We're in the midst of the greatest industrial revolution of our time. The demand for AI compute is boundless, and power is a bottleneck. We're solving that — with an energy-first approach that makes AI infrastructure better for the world and faster for the people innovating with AI.

We're looking for problem-solving, opportunity-finding teammates with a sense of urgency, who believe in the scale of our ambition and thrive on a path not fully paved — people who want to grow their careers alongside a team of experts across energy, manufacturing, data center construction, and cloud services.

If you want to do the most meaningful work of your career, help our customers and partners advance their AI strategies, and be part of a high-performing team that believes in each other, come build with us at Crusoe.

About This Role:

We are seeking a Principal Software Engineer - Software Defined Networking to lead the development and execution of our Software Defined Networking strategy. This role will be instrumental in driving innovation and performance improvements within our network infrastructure by leveraging cutting-edge technologies like XDP/EBPF, DPDK, SmartNICs, and DPU/IPUs.

What You’ll Be Working On:

  • Develop and execute the roadmap for the Software Defined Networking strategy at Crusoe Cloud.

  • Guide the engineering team through architecture decisions, design processes, design reviews, code reviews, and implementation tasks.

  • Collaborate with the network infrastructure organization to develop industry-leading networking infrastructure.

  • Lead Linux Kernel and driver development, system architecture design, production support, and cross-functional collaboration.

What You’ll Bring to the Team:

  • 10+ years of related experience building and operating at scale in a production environment.

  • Proven experience in system programming with C, C++ and/or Rust.

  • Extensive knowledge of Linux Systems Internals and computer architecture.

  • Expertise in Network Programming and Packet Processing pipelines.

  • Hands-on experience with kernel bypass technologies such as XDP/EBPF, AF_XDP, and DPDK.

  • In-depth understanding of TCP/IP and network accelerators like Mellanox/Nvidia SmartNIC (ConnectX6/7), DPU Bluefield3, and Intel IPU.

  • Familiarity with SR-IOV, vDPA, and scalable functions.

  • Strong background in kernel or embedded development, particularly with the Linux kernel.

  • Experience with Open vSwitch, Openflow, and Open Virtual Networking.

  • Knowledge of professional software engineering practices and best practices for the full software development life cycle, including coding standards, code reviews, source control management, build processes, testing, and operations.

  • Demonstrated track record of contributions to the open source community (e.g., Open vSwitch/OVS, Open Virtual Networking/OVN, Multus, Cilium).

Bonus Points:

  • Advanced degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field.

  • Proven leadership experience in a technical role.

  • Experience with cloud networking platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and virtualization technologies (VMware, KVM).

Benefits:

  • Industry competitive pay

  • Restricted Stock Units in a fast growing, well-funded technology company

  • Health insurance package options that include HDHP and PPO, vision, and dental for you and your dependents

  • Employer contributions to HSA accounts

  • Paid Parental Leave

  • Paid life insurance, short-term and long-term disability

  • Teladoc

  • 401(k) with a 100% match up to 4% of salary

  • Generous paid time off and holiday schedule

  • Cell phone reimbursement

  • Tuition reimbursement

  • Subscription to the Calm app

  • MetLife Legal

  • Company paid commuter benefit; $300 per month

Compensation:

Compensation will be paid in the range of $238,000 - $298,000 a year + Bonus. Restricted Stock Units are included in all offers. Compensation to be determined by the applicant’s knowledge, education, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Crusoe is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, citizenship, marital status, sex/gender, sexual preference/ orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, national origin, or any other status protected by law or regulation.