Senior Staff Engineer, Firmware Engineering

Job title: Senior Staff Engineer, Firmware Engineering

About the Role Senior Staff Software Engineer, Firmware Engineering at Marvell leads the design, validation, and deployment of embedded firmware for high-speed optical components on a RISC-V multi-core MCU with a DSP data path. The role involves cross-functional collaboration with hardware, software, and test teams to drive product launches and bring next-generation Marvell products from concept to NPI.

What You'll Do

• Design, implement, test, deploy, and maintain firmware for embedded systems, both independently and cross-functionally.
• Serve as the software expert on a block, owning SW architecture, development, and testing of embedded C firmware end-to-end.
• Collaborate with HW and SW teams on system requirements, schematics, and hardware validation.
• Lead bring-ups for next-generation Marvell products and travel to worldwide offices (~3 weeks/yr to Ottawa, California, Italy, Vietnam).
• Lead difficult debug efforts, drive to root causes with HW/Systems teams, and follow through with test, validation, and customer support to ensure full resolution.
• Optimize firmware for performance, reliability, and power consumption.
• Participate in and lead design reviews, code reviews, and debugging sessions.
• Plan SW milestones, develop in sprints, close tickets, and roll out features across multiple test disciplines.
• Execute frequent firmware releases for internal use and external customers.
• Develop and maintain documentation including functional specs, design docs, test specifications, user guides, and examples.
• Stay current with industry trends and emerging technologies.
• Mentor interns or new hires to help them ramp up.
• Develop Python test scripts to configure, control, and gather status from multiple DSP hardware platforms to improve firmware stability.
• Break up and optimize subroutines to maximize efficiency across a multi-core MCU architecture.
• Design and implement unit testing processes for firmware code.
• Collaborate with teammates to review code, analyze test results, and debug complex customer issues.
• Implement new temperature tracking algorithms for DSP/analog control to improve device performance across temperature ranges.

What We're Looking For

• BS/MS degree in Computer Science, Electrical/Software Engineering, or related technical field; BS with 5+ years of experience or MS with 2–3 years in memory-constrained embedded C/C++ firmware development.
• Technical ownership on embedded projects: task management, release planning, architecture, design, development, code reviews, testing, and delivery through customer volume production.
• Experience with various microprocessor architectures (ARM or RISC-V; RISC-V a plus).
• Understanding of embedded SoC and micro-controller architecture, memory-mapped hardware interfaces, GPIOs, ISRs, RTOS, queuing, memory management, and interrupt processing.
• Embedded device driver experience in communications protocols (SPI, I2C, MDIO, UART).
• Experience writing control firmware for: CDR, Flash/EEPROM, Laser Driver, TEC Controller.
• Understanding of parameter calibration techniques (e.g., interpolation, splines).
• Expert C and Python programming skills; working knowledge of git, Linux, makefiles, gdb, IDEs, bash, etc.
• Hands-on debug skills on real hardware using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, JTAG, and other embedded diagnostics tooling.
• Working knowledge of hardware design schematics.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English; ability to collaborate across a large, remotely located cross-functional organization.
• Excellent multitasking skills.

Nice to Have

• Experience with SERDES, IM-DD/Coherent DSP, Ethernet/PCIe PHYs, and/or Optical Module SW.
• Designing, developing, and debugging software state machines, transitions, context saving, and error handling.
• Experience with mixed-signal (analog+digital) control and monitoring, PID/feedback loop control.
• Experience with bare-metal, device drivers, or Linux kernel development.
• Familiarity with advanced compiler options (clang/gcc preferred).
• Familiarity with digital verification test flows, FPGA emulation, and hardware languages such as Verilog.
• Familiarity with lab equipment such as power supplies, PNAs, ONTs, etc.
• Understanding of Ethernet networking from the OSI model, with emphasis on the PHY.

Compensation & Benefits

• Salary information not disclosed in the posting.
• Benefits and perks not specified in the posting.