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 annumThe 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 [email protected].
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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