Senior Software Engineer, ONTAP Kernel Development

Job Summary

Are you a continuous learner? Do you want to be part of an empowered agile team of smart, dedicated people that constantly strives to improve? Do you want to be part of an innovating, fast growing, highly profitable company that gives back to the community, passionately supports diversity and belonging, and is changing the way people think about their data?

If you answered yes, you may be a great fit for NetApp!

Businesses today are under pressure from their digital transformation. They need to effectively manage data that is becoming distributed, dynamic, and diverse. They must take a more modern approach to their data storage while integrating into their existing environment. Businesses must also manage data wherever it resides-on the premises and in the cloud-while reducing costs and operating with existing IT staff.

NetApp ONTAP is the next generation of the industry's leading enterprise data management software. It combines new levels of simplicity and flexibility with powerful data management capabilities and storage efficiencies.

The NetApp ONTAP Kernel team is looking for a Software Engineer to join the team that's building the products that will shape the world's software defined datacenters and improve IT's ability to manage storage in the cloud.

As a member of the ONTAP Kernel team you will:

• Work as part of a team responsible for actively participating in driving product development and strategy
• Participate in activities that include designing, developing, testing and debugging of operating systems that run NetApp storage applications
• Contribute to the group that focuses on competitive market and customer requirements, supportability, technology advances, product quality, product cost and time-to-market. Software engineers focus on enhancements to existing products as well as new product development

Job Requirements

• Lead the technical design and execution of moderately complex to complex software engineering projects in the data & storage area, setting direction for a feature or subsystem.
• Decompose complex problems into simple, well-scoped solutions and translate them into actionable plans for the team.
• Guide and coordinate the technical work of less senior engineers on the team, reviewing designs and code and helping unblock technical issues.
• Partner with senior and principal engineers to align on architecture, best practices, and long-term technical direction.
• Develop a solid working knowledge of NetApp's existing systems, their interdependencies, and limitations.
• Contribute hands-on to the design, implementation, and testing of software in C++ and C, with a focus on simplicity, reliability, and manageability.
• Participate in customer escalations and drive root-cause analysis and resolution for complex issues.
• Author and review unit tests and automated integration tests to ensure resilient, robust, and durable designs.
• Provide technical guidance and mentoring to junior and mid-level engineers.
• Clearly communicate technical plans, trade-offs, and status to the team and cross-functional stakeholders.

Education

• 8+ years of experience in software engineering
• 4+ years of experience in data management systems & storage platforms for managing and storing data across various workloads and environments (Ex: NetApp's ONTAP or similar systems)
• 4+ years of hands-on experience with file systems, distributed systems, client-server programming, multi-threaded applications
• Experience developing operating systems such as FreeBSD, Linux or other Unix variant
• Systems programming using C.
• Object-Oriented systems programming using C++
• Experience with Unix based operating system kernels and development environments, e.g. Linux or FreeBSD.
• Strong understanding of concepts related to computer architecture, data structures, and programming practices.
• Demonstrated ability to lead technical execution on a project and mentor other engineers.
• Demonstrated creative and systematic approach to problem solving
• Ability to provide technical direction and guide a small team without formal management authority.
• Possess excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong technical judgment and ability to influence engineers within and across teams

Educational requirements

• Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering required (Computer Science preferred) and/or, relevant experience.
• 8+ years of experience in commercial software development

Compensation:

The target salary range for this position is 170,000 - 253,000 USD. The salary offered will be determined by the candidate's location, qualifications, experience, and education and may be outside of this range. The range is based on 'On Target Earnings' (OTE) representing the total potential earnings, which is the sum of the base salary and potential commission earned when performance targets are achieved. Final compensation packages are competitive and in line with industry standards, reflecting a variety of factors, and include a comprehensive benefits package. This may cover Health Insurance, Life Insurance, Retirement or Pension Plans, Paid Time Off, various Leave options, employee stock purchase plan, and/or restricted stocks (RSU's). These offerings are subject to regional variations and governed by local laws, regulations, and company policies. We will provide detailed information about the specific benefits for your region during the recruitment process.

At NetApp, we embrace a hybrid working environment designed to strengthen connection, collaboration, and culture for all employees. This means that most roles will have some level of in-office and/or in-person expectations, which will be shared during the recruitment process.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

NetApp is firmly committed to Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and to compliance with all federal, state and local laws that prohibit employment discrimination based on age, race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, religion, disability or genetic information, pregnancy, protected veteran status, and any other protected classification.

Why You'll Thrive at NetApp

At NetApp, you won't wait for the perfect moment-you'll make it. The early planning, the extra thought, the bold idea that turns good into great: That's how our people operate and how we continue to push the boundaries of data infrastructure.

NetApp is the trusted partner for organizations transforming data into opportunity. As the only enterprise-grade storage service natively embedded in Google Cloud, AWS, and Microsoft Azure, we empower customers to run everything from traditional workloads to enterprise AI with unmatched performance, resilience, and security.

Our culture

We celebrate mold breakers, bold thinkers, and problem solvers. We reward initiative, impact, and ownership. We provide flexibility so you can balance professional ambition with your personal life. Here, differences are not just welcomed-they drive everything we do.

If you're ready to innovate, rise to the challenge, and own every moment - make your next move your best one. Apply now.

Submitting an Application

To ensure a streamlined and fair hiring process for all candidates, our team only reviews applications submitted through our company website. This practice allows us to track, assess, and respond to applicants efficiently. Emailing our employees, recruiters, or Human Resources personnel directly will not influence your application.

AI Disclosure

For select roles, some stages of our hiring process may use artificial intelligence tools to help evaluate applications and candidate selection. These tools support-rather than replace-human decision-making.