---
title: 'System Software Engineer – Lead Engineer at Baidu USA'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/system-software-engineer-lead-engineer-baidu-usa-sunnyvale-12z9y725k3je'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-07'
---

# System Software Engineer – Lead Engineer at Baidu USA

- **Company:** Baidu USA
- **Location:** Sunnyvale, CA
- **Posted:** 2021-08-14
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-07
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/baidu/jobs/3391016

## Job description

Do you want to be part of AI revolution? Do you want to think out of box with thriving on challenges in AI industry and desire to solve them? Do you want to work with a world-class team to explore the fast-growing AI hardware opportunities and impact on AI industry? We’re looking forward to your joining us to collaborate and contribute and revolutionize AI silicon and system.

Description

As a System Software Engineer Lead, you will

- Lead the team in designing and architecting the software stack, including but not limited to boot, security, safety, driver, os, middleware, OTA, applications, etc, for autonomous driving silicon and system.
- Optimize the system performance and work closely with algorithm team to tackle challenges in optimization from bottom to up.
- Communicate readily with your peers across organizations and collaborate effectively.

## Qualifications

- 7+ years of significant software and product experience in SoC system software design and optimization, with expertise in both OS kernel optimization and real time development.
- Deep understanding in QNX/Linux OS kernel and proficiency in C/C++.
- Extensive experience in sophisticated automotive or embedded systems on BSP and drivers (e.g. Ethernet, Camera, SerDes, Display, PCIe, eMMC, UFS, Lidar/Radar, etc).
- Solid background of CPU architecture, and extensive experience in software development in the areas of ARM/RISC-V/MIPS processors, ISA, Memory subsystem, coherency, AI/ML architecture, security, etc.
- Ability to debug at board or silicon level and appropriate probing hardware.
- Experience in both performance and power optimization from hardware to software.
- Proof of leadership and passion for innovation.
- Experience in autonomous driving or AUTOSAR / ISO 26262 is a plus.
- Team player with great communication skills in both English and Mandarin.
- BS, MS or PhD in computer science, electrical engineering, or equivalent experience.

Culture Fit:

- Mission alignment: If you want to be part of a team to accomplish this great mission, we will provide you the best possible platform to do that.
- Self-directed: We work best with people that are driven, motivated, and aspire to greatness.
- Hungry to learn: We are eager to see you learn new skills and grow.
- Team orientation: We work in small, fast-moving teams. We watch out for each other and go after big goals together as a team.

## #LI-DNI

## About Baidu USA

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Baidu USA is the Silicon Valley R&D center of Baidu, China’s largest search engine, focused on cutting-edge AI research, autonomous driving, and global business development.
- **Entity Type**: Public subsidiary of Baidu, Inc. (NASDAQ: BIDU)
- **Headquarters**: Mountain View, California, USA (with additional offices in Bellevue, WA and Sunnyvale, CA)
- **Founded**: 2014
- **Founders**: Baidu was founded by Robin Li and Eric Xu; Baidu USA operates as a wholly owned subsidiary.

## Core Business
- **Primary Industries**: Artificial intelligence, autonomous driving, cloud computing, digital advertising, and hardware design (CPU/GPU/SoC).
- **Target Customers**: B2B (advertisers, enterprise AI solutions), B2C (through Baidu’s consumer products), and internal R&D for Baidu’s global ecosystem.
- **Mission**: “To make a complicated world simpler through technology.”

## Products & Services
- **Baidu Research US**: Conducts fundamental AI research in deep learning, computer vision, speech recognition, and NLP.
- **Intelligent Driving Group (IDG) US**: Develops Apollo autonomous driving platform and related hardware/software.
- **Baidu Global Business Unit**: Manages **MediaGo** (AI-powered advertising platform for global app advertisers) and other international ad sales.
- **Xingyun US**: Silicon Valley hardware design center focused on CPU/GPU/SoC architecture for AI and autonomous driving.
- **Baidu AI Cloud**: Cloud services with AI capabilities (noted as a category, though US-specific offerings may be limited).

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Baidu, Inc. market cap ~$30–40 billion (as of mid-2025); Baidu USA is a subsidiary with no separate public valuation.
- **Key Metric**: Headcount of 77 employees (+2.1% YoY); active job postings increased 180% YoY (14 current openings).
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Baidu, Inc. (parent); partnerships with global advertisers, automotive OEMs, and hardware vendors.
- **Growth Signals**: Rapid expansion in hardware engineering roles (CPU/GPU/SoC), 40% quarterly increase in job postings, new office in Bellevue, WA, and growing global advertising business (MediaGo).

## Competitive Advantages
- Access to Baidu’s massive data, compute resources, and decades of AI expertise—combined with the agility of a small Silicon Valley team.
- Strong talent pipeline from top universities (Stanford, UC Santa Barbara) and alumni network at Google, Microsoft, NVIDIA, and ByteDance.
- Unique position bridging US innovation with Baidu’s vast Chinese market and ecosystem.

## Strategic Focus
- **AI Hardware**: Building custom CPU/GPU/SoC designs for machine learning and autonomous driving.
- **Autonomous Driving**: Advancing Apollo platform through US-based R&D and partnerships.
- **Global Advertising**: Scaling MediaGo to capture international app advertiser spend.
- **Talent Acquisition**: Aggressively hiring hardware architects, AI researchers, and business development managers to expand US footprint.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: “Nimbleness of a startup” with resources of a global tech giant; elite researchers and engineers work on “change-the-world” AI projects.
- **Work Environment**: Hybrid/office presence across three US locations (Mountain View, Sunnyvale, Bellevue). Specific remote policy not disclosed.
- **Impact**: Work on AI systems deployed to hundreds of millions of users (Baidu’s core products) and cutting-edge hardware that powers next-gen AI.
- **Notable Perks**: Not explicitly listed, but typical for a global R&D center includes competitive compensation, equity (via Baidu), and exposure to cross-border technology development.

## Sources
1. [usa.baidu.com](https://usa.baidu.com/)
2. [usa.baidu.com/about](https://usa.baidu.com/about)
3. [job-boards.greenhouse.io/baidu](https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/baidu)
4. [LinkedIn – Baidu USA](https://www.linkedin.com/company/baidu-usa)

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