Principal Firmware Engineer

About the role

We are seeking a highly experienced Senior Principal Firmware Engineer to lead firmware development for next-generation coherent optical connectivity solutions. This is a hands-on technical leadership role focused on coherent optical modules, embedded firmware architecture, and emerging Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) platforms. The ideal candidate will have deep expertise in optical transceiver firmware, SoC-based embedded systems, and end-to-end product ownership from development through production deployment.

Key Responsibilities

• Own firmware architecture, design, development, and release for coherent optical module programs (400ZR, 800ZR, ZR+, or similar).
• Lead firmware efforts across product lifecycle phases including bring-up, calibration, validation, production release, and customer deployment.
• Develop and enhance firmware features such as:
• CMIS/C-CMIS compliance
• Bootloader architecture
• Firmware upgrade mechanisms (including hitless/in-service upgrades)
• Hardware abstraction layers
• Calibration and control engines
• Collaborate with hardware, DSP, validation, manufacturing, ATE, and test engineering teams to resolve complex system-level issues.
• Support customer engagements by troubleshooting field issues, responding to technical inquiries, and delivering firmware solutions.
• Drive firmware platform improvements, shared infrastructure development, release processes, and automation initiatives.
• Mentor engineers and provide technical leadership across multiple programs.

Required Qualifications

• 15+ years of embedded software/firmware development experience.
• Strong expertise in coherent optical module firmware (400ZR, 800ZR, ZR+, or equivalent technologies).
• Deep understanding of industry standards including:
• OIF-400ZR
• CMIS 4.x/5.x
• C-CMIS
• Experience with SoC-based embedded systems and MCU/DSP architectures.
• Strong proficiency in C/C++ for embedded firmware development.
• Experience with Python scripting for test automation and validation.
• Expertise in:
• Bootloader design
• Firmware upgrade frameworks
• Flash memory management
• Production firmware release processes
• Proven track record of leading products from initial bring-up through GA release and production support.
• Strong hardware/firmware debugging and system integration skills.
• Experience with ATE integration, lab validation, and field issue resolution.
• Hands-on experience with GitLab, Jira, CI/CD pipelines, and modern firmware development workflows.
• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Previous experience with an optical module manufacturer or optical semiconductor company.
• Experience with coherent DSP platforms and optical networking products.
• Knowledge of Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) architectures.
• Background in optical calibration and control algorithms involving components such as EDFA, Mach-Zehnder Modulators (MZ), TOSA, or related optical subsystems.
• Familiarity with high-speed optical interconnect technologies deployed in hyperscale data center environments.