DSP Principal Firmware Engineer

Astera Labs

16h

About The Position

Astera Labs (NASDAQ: ALAB) provides rack-scale AI infrastructure through purpose-built connectivity solutions. By collaborating with hyperscalers and ecosystem partners, Astera Labs enables organizations to unlock the full potential of modern AI. Astera Labs’ Intelligent Connectivity Platform integrates CXL®, Ethernet, NVLink, PCIe®, and UALink™ semiconductor-based technologies with the company’s COSMOS software suite to unify diverse components into cohesive, flexible systems that deliver end-to-end scale-up, and scale-out connectivity. The company’s custom connectivity solutions business complements its standards-based portfolio, enabling customers to deploy tailored architectures to meet their unique infrastructure requirements. Discover more at www.asteralabs.com.
Role Overview
Astera Labs is seeking a Principal Firmware Engineer to join our SERDES IP team in Ottawa, Canada, focused on our Taurus Ethernet product line. This is a high-impact role at the intersection of analog design and firmware development, where you'll architect and develop firmware and microcontroller subsystems that power the physical layer of our cutting-edge connectivity solutions.
As a Principal Firmware Engineer, you'll be responsible for implementing the major differentiating features that set Astera Labs' products apart in the AI infrastructure connectivity market. Firmware is considered equally important to the hardware at Astera, and you'll often work directly with customers to ensure their needs are fully understood and translated into world-class solutions. This is an opportunity to shape the future of high-speed Ethernet connectivity as data center architectures evolve to meet explosive AI workload demands.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science
• 10+ years of experience supporting or developing complex SoC/silicon products for Server, Storage, and/or Networking applications
• Strong proficiency in C (preferred) or C++, including development of C-based SDKs
• Experience developing firmware for on-chip microcontrollers and system management controllers
• Experience working with logic and analog designers to architect and verify HW-SW interfaces on complex SoCs
• Hands-on experience with high-speed interfaces common in data center equipment: Ethernet (100G/400G/800G), PCIe, DDR, or similar
• Working knowledge of firmware build environments, gcc/Make, and GitHub

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science
• Experience with SERDES IP, Ethernet PHY, or physical layer firmware development
• High proficiency in Python for automating pre-processors/post-processors and firmware QC
• Experience developing embedded firmware for Ethernet Switch or retimer products
• Familiarity with SoC interfaces including PCIe Controllers, DDR Controllers, AMBA/AHB interfaces, and on-chip memory interfaces
• Experience with industry forums and collaboration workgroups such as OCP and OpenBMC
• Understanding of analog design concepts and their interaction with firmware control systems

Responsibilities

• Architect and develop firmware for on-chip microcontrollers within Astera Labs' SERDES IP and Taurus Ethernet products
• Implement C-language software development kits (SDKs) for system management controllers (e.g., BMC)
• Design and optimize firmware for analog and physical layer interfaces critical to Ethernet connectivity
• Collaborate with analog designers and logic designers to architect and verify HW-SW interfaces on complex SoCs
• Define and implement firmware interfaces for high-speed SERDES and Ethernet PHY subsystems
• Partner with silicon teams to ensure seamless integration between analog IP and firmware control planes
• Engage directly with customers to understand requirements and translate them into firmware solutions
• Support product validation, debug, and bring-up activities for Taurus Ethernet products
• Develop automated testing frameworks using Python for firmware quality control

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal
• Number of Employees: 101-250 employees