Principal Embedded Firmware Engineer - Networking PAM4 DSP/ODSP/AEC/MicroLED

Marvell Technology • Santa Clara, CA

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About The Position

Marvell’s Optical Digital Signal Processing (ODSP) PHY Software team develops software for DSP products used in pluggable optical modules. The team owns embedded firmware, customer SDKs, in-field debugging tools, and test infrastructure, supporting products from pre-silicon simulation through field deployment.

The Principal Embedded Firmware Engineer provides technical leadership and project coordination to ensure product success. The role leads architecture, design, development, and testing of embedded C firmware that controls complex DSP hardware, and guides a product’s software team through development. It also coordinates milestones and cross-functional delivery, leads technical engagement with tier-1 customers, supports customer bring-up and field issue resolution, and mentors engineers. The role may involve access to technology or software subject to U.S. export control laws and regulations.

Requirements

• Experience in memory-constrained embedded C/C++ firmware development.
• Experience as a software team lead or technical lead on embedded projects.
• Experience with architecture design and development, code reviews, and testing through customer volume production.
• Understanding of embedded SoC and microcontroller architecture, memory-mapped hardware interfaces, GPIOs, and ISRs; RISC-V experience is a plus.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English and ability to collaborate in a large cross-functional organization.
• Strong problem-solving and customer-debugging skills on real hardware in a lab.
• Experience using revision control and defect-tracking systems.
• BS, MS, or PhD in Computer Science, Electrical/Software Engineering, or a related technical field.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with SERDES, IM-DD/coherent DSP, Ethernet/PCIe PHYs, or optical module software.
• Experience designing, developing, and debugging software state machines, transitions, context saving, and error handling.
• Experience with mixed-signal (analog and digital) control and monitoring, and PID/feedback-loop control.
• Experience with bare-metal software, RTOS, device drivers, or the Linux kernel.
• Familiarity with advanced compiler options and details; clang or gcc preferred.
• Proficiency in C and Python, with knowledge of git, Linux, makefiles, gdb, IDEs, and bash.
• Familiarity with digital verification test flows, FPGA emulation, and hardware languages such as Verilog.
• Familiarity with lab equipment such as oscilloscopes, supplies, PNAs, and ONTs.
• Understanding of Ethernet networking from the OSI model, especially the PHY through the data-link level.
• Familiarity with forward error correction, PCS framing, PMA/PMD, PRBS, and other PHY traffic schemes.
• Understanding of signal processing concepts such as histograms, BER, SNR, sampling phase, Shannon limit, impulse and frequency response, and FFT.

Responsibilities

• Lead the architecture, design, development, and testing of embedded C firmware for DSP hardware.
• Serve as technical lead for a product and guide a software team of 2–8 developers through development.
• Drive firmware development for DSP control blocks, including RX/TX signal processing, FEC, PLL/FLL, reference generation, and thermal monitoring.
• Lead technical reviews of firmware architecture, API design, and system integration approaches.
• Translate standards-body or customer specifications into clear requirements and sequence diagrams.
• Lead difficult debugging efforts, find root causes with hardware and systems teams, and follow up with test, validation, and customer support teams.
• Plan software milestones with cross-functional teams, develop in sprints, close tickets, and roll out product features.
• Coordinate deliverables and schedules with Marketing, AE, Test, Validation, SW_QA, and Hardware teams.
• Provide status updates on milestones, scope, dependencies, and blockers.
• Manage Agile sprint planning and backlog prioritization with stakeholders.
• Lead technical discussions with tier-1 customers about feature requirements, API specifications, and implementation.
• Support customer bring-up activities and resolve field issues.
• Develop customer-specific features, such as FEC burst statistics, VDM telemetry, and CMIS compliance.
• Mentor engineers on embedded firmware development, debugging techniques, and best practices.
• Conduct code reviews and provide technical guidance to support code quality and maintainability.
• Foster collaboration across geographically distributed teams.

Benefits

• Eligible to participate in Marvell’s bonus and equity plans, including a new-hire equity grant and annual equity refreshers.
• Employee stock purchase plan with a 2-year look back.
• Family support programs.
• Mental health resources.
• Recognition and service awards.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Principal