Senior Firmware Security Engineer

Cornelis Networks, Inc.•Austin, TX

9d•Remote

About The Position

At Cornelis, we are building the future of AI and HPC networking with an AI-first approach to silicon and software development. We are seeking engineers who are energized by working on cutting-edge ASIC design and distributed software systems, and who are motivated to push the boundaries on how AI can transform everything from chip architecture to system performance at scale. Cornelis Networks delivers the world’s highest performance scale-out networking solutions for AI and HPC datacenters. Our differentiated architecture seamlessly integrates hardware, software and system level technologies to maximize the efficiency of GPU, CPU and accelerator-based compute clusters at any scale. Our solutions drive breakthroughs in AI & HPC workloads, empowering our customers to push the boundaries of innovation. Backed by top-tier venture capital and strategic investors, we are committed to innovation, performance and scalability - solving the world’s most demanding computational challenges with our next-generation networking solutions. We are a fast-growing, forward-thinking team of architects, engineers, and business professionals with a proven track record of building successful products and companies. As a global organization, our team spans multiple U.S. states and six countries, and we continue to expand with exceptional talent in onsite, hybrid, and fully remote roles. As a Senior Firmware Security Engineer, you will design and deliver security-critical firmware for advanced networking hardware. This is a hands-on role with leadership expectations: approximately 70% individual contributor and 30% technical mentorship/leadership. You will work across secure boot, firmware signing, and cryptographic protocol implementation on embedded platforms (ARM, RISC-V, and custom ASIC environments), partnering closely with silicon, platform, and validation teams.

Requirements

7+ years of embedded/firmware software engineering experience, including security-focused development.
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent experience.
Strong proficiency in C/C++ and practical proficiency in Python.
Proven experience with: Secure boot
Firmware signing / image authentication
Applied cryptography in embedded systems
Experience on one or more target architectures: ARM, RISC-V, or custom ASIC/SoC platforms.
Strong debugging and root-cause skills for low-level systems.
Ability to lead technically while remaining deeply hands-on.

Nice To Haves

Experience in high-performance networking, interconnects, or data center/HPC systems.
Familiarity with device attestation and management security standards (e.g., SPDM/PLDM concepts).
Experience building secure firmware delivery/update pipelines and release validation frameworks.
Knowledge of security compliance frameworks and secure SDLC practices for embedded products.
Familiarity with Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) and NIST PQC standards (e.g., ML-DSA/Dilithium, ML-KEM/Kyber), including hybrid classical+PQC signing and key exchange in embedded contexts.

Responsibilities

Design, implement, and maintain firmware in C/C++ with automation/tooling in Python.
Build and harden secure boot and chain-of-trust mechanisms.
Own and improve firmware signing and image authentication workflows.
Implement and integrate cryptographic protocols for device trust and secure communications.
Perform threat modeling, security design reviews, and vulnerability remediation for firmware components.
Define and execute firmware security validation strategies (negative testing, robustness, tamper scenarios).
Mentor engineers through code reviews, design guidance, and secure development best practices.
Collaborate cross-functionally with architecture, hardware, and software teams to deliver secure product releases.