Senior Principal Engineer, Software / Firmware

Senior Principal Engineer, Software/Firmware

Salary: 250,000 - 280,000/yr

Location: Santa Clara, CA (onsite)

Must be eligible to work in the United States. Sponsorship is unavailable. Relocation assistance is unavailable.

Core Requirements:

• 15+ years of hardcore embedded software and firmware architecture experience.
• Deep expertise in coherent optical module firmware (400ZR, 800ZR).
• Direct familiarity with standards like OIF-400ZR, C-CMIS, and CMIS 4.x/5.x.
• Advanced knowledge of DSP architectures, hitless firmware upgrades, and calibration/control loops for optical components (like EDFA or Mach-Zehnder Modulators)

Your Team, Your Impact

Optics firmware team develops the software that powers the next generation of optical interconnects — from high-volume Data Center Interconnect (DCI) coherent modules (400ZR, 800ZR/ZR+) deployed at hyperscale cloud providers, to emerging Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) platforms that will redefine how compute and optical I/O are integrated at the rack level. Our products are at the heart of the industry's transition to higher-bandwidth, lower-power optical connectivity, and our firmware is a key differentiator in winning and retaining the world's most demanding customers. You'll join a team of experienced engineers who have shipped multiple generations of coherent module platforms and are now building the foundation for what comes next.

What You Can Expect
We are looking for a Senior Principal Firmware Engineer to join an established, industry leader in 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
Preferred Prior experience at an optical module company or optical semiconductor company
Familiarity with optical or coherent DSP platforms or equivalent
Background in calibration and control algorithms for optical components (EDFA, MZ, TOSA, etc.)