Firmware Tech Lead
Location: San Jose, CA (4 days onsite)
We are partnering with a leading semiconductor company to hire a Firmware Tech Lead to join a newly formed team working on advanced optical modules and optical engines. This is a high-impact technical leadership role for someone with deep embedded firmware expertise and strong experience in optical systems, hardware bring-up, and cross-functional product development.
This is a hands-on role focused on firmware architecture, platform bring-up, module management, calibration, manufacturing and test support, and close collaboration with teams across optics, DSP, ASIC, verification, manufacturing, and reliability.
The Role
You will play a key role in defining and developing embedded firmware for next-generation optical platforms, including pluggable modules and optical engines. This position requires strong low-level technical depth, system-level thinking, and the ability to lead firmware direction across multiple complex development programs.
Key responsibilities include:
- Architect, develop, debug, and release embedded firmware for QSFP-DD, OSFP, and optical engine platforms
- Define control architecture requirements including MCU/processor selection, memory sizing, boot flows, and peripheral interfaces
- Generate and own digital requirements and specifications for custom optical control ASICs, including telemetry, diagnostics, monitoring, interfaces, boot, memory, and testability
- Partner closely with ASIC, RTL, verification, optical systems, and DSP teams to drive architecture definition, implementation alignment, bring-up, and debug
- Develop firmware for PIC control algorithms and integrated photonic IC control functions, including DAC/ADC integration for monitoring, calibration, and control loops
- Implement and maintain CMIS-compliant firmware for module control, diagnostics, telemetry, state management, and host interfaces
- Lead firmware and digital bring-up for new optical module, optical engine, and control ASIC platforms
- Develop firmware for manufacturing, test, screening, and calibration, including calibration tables and calibration engines
- Define and improve firmware development workflows, including build and release processes, automated testing, regression coverage, and CI
- Drive root-cause analysis across lab bring-up, qualification, manufacturing, and field-return scenarios
- Provide technical leadership through design reviews, code reviews, debug support, and mentoring of engineers across programs
Requirements
- Bachelor’s, Master’s, or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field
- Strong experience in embedded firmware development for optical modules, optical engines, or closely related optical systems
- Proven background in firmware architecture, including processor selection, memory, boot, and peripheral definition
- Experience with ARM and/or RISC-V embedded architectures
- Hands-on experience with firmware and digital bring-up of complex hardware systems
- Experience implementing CMIS for optical modules
- Strong knowledge of embedded interfaces such as I2C, I3C, SPI, MDIO, GPIO, and similar protocols
- Strong proficiency in embedded C/C++ and low-level firmware/hardware debug
- Experience developing firmware for manufacturing, calibration, and production test environments
- Experience working cross-functionally with optical systems, DSP, ASIC, manufacturing, test, calibration, and reliability teams
- Demonstrated ability to provide technical leadership and mentor engineers
Preferred Experience
- Experience generating digital requirements for custom optical control ASICs
- Experience with DAC/ADC specification or integration for photonic IC control
- Experience with secure boot, root of trust, or secure firmware update mechanisms
- Experience leading firmware architecture across multiple optical module, optical engine, or control ASIC programs
- Experience supporting qualification, reliability investigations, and failure analysis
Additional Information
- This is a hands-on technical leadership role at Senior Principal / Distinguished level
- The role is based in San Jose, CA, with 4 days per week onsite
- Relocation support is available
- H1B visa sponsorship can be supported
- This is a newly created role within a new team, offering strong visibility and impact
Why Apply?
This is an opportunity to take on a highly strategic firmware leadership role in an advanced optical technology environment. You will work at the intersection of embedded systems, photonics, ASICs, and platform bring-up, with real ownership over architecture, execution, and technical direction. For candidates operating at a senior level in optical firmware and looking for a role with both depth and scope, this is a strong opportunity to make a meaningful impact.
INTERESTED?
We are committed to submitting suitable candidates for this vacancy to our client ASAP, for more information contact Renz Moreno at PER Recruitment or send your CV to renz@per-international.com
