Senior Staff Engineer, Firmware Engineering

About Marvell

Marvell’s semiconductor solutions are the essential building blocks of the data infrastructure that connects our world. Across enterprise, cloud and AI, and carrier architectures, our innovative technology is enabling new possibilities.

At Marvell, you can affect the arc of individual lives, lift the trajectory of entire industries, and fuel the transformative potential of tomorrow. For those looking to make their mark on purposeful and enduring innovation, above and beyond fleeting trends, Marvell is a place to thrive, learn, and lead.

Your Team, Your Impact

The Firmware team at Marvell builds highly integrated component platforms with high speed Silicon photonics, transmit and receive amplifiers, controller ASIC’s with Marvell DSP’s. These components are made operational with a highly functional embedded firmware. The team is responsible for design, verification, and validation of these integrated high speed optical components. The team performs system level testing under various operating conditions, and validates the performance of the hardware, firmware and control loops. An engineer in this team will be involved in a full product lifecycle and will carry new products from inception all the way to NPI.

What You Can Expect

The SW team is a key enabler for bringing products to production. As a Sr. Staff Software Engineer, you will work closely with SW, HW, and Test teams — as well as experts from systems, customer support, and operations — to drive successful product launches. Core areas of ownership include:

Embedded firmware running on our RISC-V-based multi-core MCU, controlling our proprietary DSP data path
C SDK provided to customers for interfacing with and controlling our product
Python-based GUI for in-field debug, status, and control
Build, test, and automated regression infrastructure for all of the above

In This Role You Will

Design, implement, test, deploy, and maintain firmware for embedded systems, both independently and cross-functionally
Serve as the software expert on a block or portion of the design, owning SW architecture, development, and testing of embedded C firmware end-to-end
Collaborate with HW and SW teams on system requirements, schematics, and hardware validation
Lead bring-ups for next-generation Marvell products and travel to worldwide offices for chip bring-up (~3 weeks/yr; Ottawa, California, Italy, Vietnam)
Lead difficult debug efforts, drive to root causes with HW/Systems teams, and follow through with test, validation, and customer support to ensure full resolution
Optimize firmware for performance, reliability, and power consumption
Participate in and lead design reviews, code reviews, and debugging sessions
Plan SW milestones, develop in sprints, close tickets, and roll out features across multiple test disciplines
Execute frequent firmware releases for both internal use and external customers
Develop and maintain documentation including functional specs, design documents, test specifications, user guides, and examples
Stay current with industry trends and emerging technologies

Example Tasks

Mentor interns or new hires to help them ramp up and integrate into the team
Develop Python test scripts to configure, control, and gather status from multiple DSP hardware platforms to improve firmware stability
Break up and optimize subroutines to maximize efficiency across a multi-core MCU architecture
Design and implement unit testing processes for firmware code
Collaborate with teammates to review code, analyze test results, and debug complex customer issues
Implement new temperature tracking algorithms for DSP/analog control to improve device performance across temperature ranges

What We're Looking For

BS/MS degree in Computer Science, Electrical/Software Engineering, or related technical field(s); BS with 5+ years of experience or MS with 2–3 years in memory-constrained embedded C/C++ firmware development
Experience with technical ownership on embedded projects: task management, release planning, architecture, design, development, code reviews, testing, and delivery through customer volume production
Experience with various microprocessor architectures (ARM or RISC-V; RISC-V a plus)
Understanding of embedded SoC and micro-controller architecture, memory-mapped hardware interfaces, GPIOs, ISRs, RTOS, queuing, memory management, and interrupt processing
Embedded device driver experience in communications protocols (e.g., SPI, I2C, MDIO, UART)
Experience writing control firmware for: CDR, Flash/EEPROM, Laser Driver, TEC Controller
Understanding of parameter calibration techniques (e.g., interpolation, splines)
Expert C and Python programming skills; working knowledge of git, Linux, makefiles, gdb, IDEs, bash, etc.
Hands-on debug skills on real hardware using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, JTAG, and other embedded diagnostics tooling
Working knowledge of hardware design schematics
Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English; ability to collaborate across a large, remotely located cross-functional organization
Excellent multitasking skills

Preferred Qualifications

Experience with SERDES, IM-DD/Coherent DSP, Ethernet/PCIe PHYs, and/or Optical Module SW
Experience designing, developing, and debugging software state machines, transitions, context saving, and error handling
Experience with mixed-signal (analog+digital) control and monitoring, PID/feedback loop control, etc.
Experience with bare-metal, device drivers, or Linux kernel development
Familiarity with advanced compiler options (clang/gcc preferred)
Familiarity with digital verification test flows, FPGA emulation, and hardware languages such as Verilog
Familiarity with lab equipment such as power supplies, PNAs, ONTs, etc.
Understanding of Ethernet networking from the OSI model, with emphasis on the PHY up to the data link level
Familiarity with forward error correction, PCS framing, PMA/PMD, PRBS, and other PHY traffic schemes
Understanding of signal processing: histograms, BER, SNR, sampling phase, Shannon limit, impulse & frequency response, FFT, etc.

Expected Base Pay Range (USD)

131,010 - 196,300, $ per annum

The successful candidate’s starting base pay will be determined based on job-related skills, experience, qualifications, work location and market conditions. The expected base pay range for this role may be modified based on market conditions.

Additional Compensation And Benefit Elements

Marvell is committed to providing exceptional, comprehensive benefits that support our employees at every stage - from internship to retirement and through life’s most important moments. Our offerings are built around four key pillars: financial well-being, family support, mental and physical health, and recognition. Highlights include an employee stock purchase plan with a 2-year look back, family support programs to help balance work and home life, robust mental health resources to prioritize emotional well-being, and a recognition and service awards to celebrate contributions and milestones. We look forward to sharing more with you during the interview process.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status.

Any applicant who requires a reasonable accommodation during the selection process should contact Marvell HR Helpdesk at TAOps@marvell.com.

Interview Integrity

To support fair and authentic hiring practices, candidates are not permitted to use AI tools (such as transcription apps, real-time answer generators like ChatGPT or Copilot, or automated note-taking bots) during interviews.

These tools must not be used to record, assist with, or enhance responses in any way. Our interviews are designed to evaluate your individual experience, thought process, and communication skills in real time. Use of AI tools without prior instruction from the interviewer will result in disqualification from the hiring process.

This position may require access to technology and/or software subject to U.S. export control laws and regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). As such, applicants must be eligible to access export-controlled information as defined under applicable law. Marvell may be required to obtain export licensing approval from the U.S. Department of Commerce and/or the U.S. Department of State. Except for U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, or protected individuals as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), all applicants may be subject to an export license review process prior to employment.

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