Sr Optical Transceiver Firmware Engineer

Supermicro•San Jose, CA

About The Position

Supermicro is seeking a highly motivated and experienced Sr Optical Transceiver Firmware Engineer to develop embedded software and firmware for cutting-edge 800G, 1.6T, and future-generation optical transceiver modules. In this role, you will be responsible for designing and implementing the firmware infrastructure that enables module control, diagnostics, monitoring, configuration, and host communication for high-speed optical networking products used in AI, cloud, hyperscale, and data center environments. You will collaborate closely with multidisciplinary teams across hardware, optics, systems, and manufacturing to develop next-generation optical transceiver solutions. This includes partnering with optical architects, electrical and signal integrity engineers, ASIC/FPGA teams, manufacturing engineers, validation engineers, and system software developers to define and implement module functionality that meets aggressive performance, power, reliability, and interoperability requirements.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical field.
8+ years of experience in embedded firmware or software development, preferably in networking, telecommunications, data center, or hardware-control applications.
Strong proficiency in C/C++ programming for embedded systems.
Experience developing firmware for hardware control and real-time embedded platforms.
Hands-on experience with optical transceiver technologies, such as: QSFP28, QSFP-DD, OSFP, CFP/CFP2, and related pluggable optical modules
Strong understanding of communication interfaces and protocols, including: I²C/I3C, MDIO, SPI, UART, PMBus
Experience implementing or troubleshooting CMIS-compliant firmware.
Knowledge of optical module diagnostics, telemetry, calibration, alarm handling, and health monitoring mechanisms.
Strong debugging and problem-solving skills using laboratory equipment such as: Oscilloscopes, Logic analyzers, Protocol analyzers, and Optical test equipment

Nice To Haves

Experience with 400G, 800G, and 1.6T optical transceiver architectures.
Knowledge of Ethernet PHYs, DSPs, retimers, gearbox devices, and SerDes technologies.
Understanding of optical communication fundamentals, including: PAM4 signaling, FEC, CWDM/DWDM, Coherent optics
Experience with RTOS-based embedded systems.
Proficiency in Python or scripting languages used for automation and validation.
Familiarity with manufacturing test development and automated test systems.
Experience supporting high-volume production and field deployments.
Knowledge of reliability qualification, failure analysis, and product lifecycle management processes.

Responsibilities

Design, develop, test, and debug embedded firmware for advanced optical transceiver platforms, including QSFP-DD, OSFP, OSFP-XD, and future high-speed module form factors.
Implement and maintain firmware features supporting industry-standard management interfaces and protocols, including: CMIS, I²C, MDIO, SPI, and PMBus
Develop firmware for: Module initialization and control, Optical diagnostics and telemetry, Digital diagnostics monitoring (DDM), Alarm and warning management, Thermal and power management, Fault detection and recovery
Define firmware architecture, requirements, and design specifications in collaboration with optical, electrical, mechanical, and system engineering teams.
Develop manufacturing and validation firmware features to support calibration, characterization, testing, and production qualification.
Create and maintain automation tools, scripts, and test frameworks to improve validation efficiency and ensure standards compliance.
Support interoperability testing with networking equipment from major switch, NIC, and system vendors.
Work closely with manufacturing and operations teams to enable efficient production testing, firmware programming, field upgrades, and yield improvement initiatives.
Analyze and optimize firmware performance, reliability, security, and power efficiency.
Drive root-cause analysis and resolution of complex firmware, hardware, and system-level issues.
Participate in design reviews, code reviews, technical discussions, and architecture planning activities.
Stay current with industry standards and emerging technologies, including: CMIS, MSA specifications, IEEE Ethernet standards, Coherent and DSP-based optical technologies, and AI and hyperscale networking requirements