Senior Principal Firmware Engineer

What You Can Expect

We are looking for a Senior Principal Firmware Engineer to join Client's Optical Connectivity firmware team in Santa Clara. This is a highly technical individual contributor role with broad program ownership across one or more 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

Senior Principal Engineer, Software/Firmware - coherent optical module firmware/SoC-based embedded platforms/CPORequired15+ 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

PreferredPrior 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.)

California Pay Range

$200,000—$250,000 USD