Senior Principal Firmware Engineer

What You Can Expect

We are looking for a Senior Principal Firmware Engineer to join a client’s Optical Connectivity firmware team in Santa Clara. This is a highly technical individual contributor role with broad program ownership across coherent optical module programs. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in embedded firmware for optical transceivers, a track record of leading complex multi‑generation programs, and the ability to work effectively across firmware, hardware, DSP, and customer‑facing teams.

What You'll Do

• Own firmware development for coherent optical module programs (e.g., 400ZR/ZR+, 800ZR), from architecture through production release.
• Lead program‑level firmware efforts, including bring‑up, calibration, validation, and customer delivery milestones.
• Design and implement advanced firmware features such as hitless firmware upgrade, CMIS compliance, bootloader architecture, calibration and control engines, and hardware adaptation layers.
• Drive cross‑functional collaboration with DSP, hardware, ATE, and test engineering teams to resolve complex system‑level issues.
• Support customer engagements — respond to technical inquiries, debug field issues, and deliver firmware solutions that meet hyperscaler and carrier requirements.
• Contribute to firmware architecture decisions across the broader optics firmware platform, including shared infrastructure, tooling, and release processes.
• Mentor and guide other engineers on the team; serve as a technical resource and subject matter expert.

What We're Looking For

• 15+ years of experience in embedded software/firmware architecture, design, and implementation.
• Deep expertise in coherent optical module firmware (400ZR, 800ZR, or equivalent) and associated standards (OIF‑400ZR, C‑CMIS, CMIS 4.x/5.x).
• Strong background in bootloader design, firmware upgrade mechanisms (including hitless/in‑service upgrade), and flash management.
• Experience with SoC‑based embedded platforms (MCU/DSP‑based architectures).
• Proficiency in C/C++ firmware development and Python‑based test/automation scripting.
• Demonstrated ability to own and deliver programs end‑to‑end— from alpha bring‑up through GA release and production support.
• Strong debugging skills across hardware/firmware boundaries; experience with lab bench bring‑up, ATE integration, and field issue resolution.
• Experience with Jira, GitLab, and CI/CD‑based firmware release flows.
• Excellent communication skills; able to work effectively with customers, hardware engineers, and DSP teams.
• Preferred: prior experience at an optical module company or optical semiconductor company.
• Familiarity with Marvell optical or coherent DSP platforms or equivalent.
• Background in calibration and control algorithms for optical components (EDFA, MZ, TOSA, etc.).

Compensation

$200,000 – $250,000 USD

Equal Opportunity Employer

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