Senior Staff Engineer - Platform
Confirmed on the employer's own hiring board on Oct 1, 2026. First seen by Alion on Aug 13, 2026. Upscale AI scores B on the Alion truth index.
Position Overview
This is a full-time, on-site role for a Senior Staff Platform Engineer located in Santa Clara, CA. The engineer will own end-to-end platform software development-spanning Board Support Packages (BSP), network operating systems (SONiC, FBOSS), baseboard management controller firmware (OpenBMC), and hardware diagnostic software for both platform-level and ASIC-level validation. The ideal candidate combines deep embedded systems expertise with systems-level thinking, bridging hardware and software to deliver production-grade infrastructure at scale.
This role spans both x86 and ARM architectures and demands fluency across the full stack-from low-level firmware and device drivers to user-space services, telemetry frameworks, and diagnostic tooling.
Responsibility
Platform software Design and Development: Architect and develop Linux BSP, platform drivers, and user-space services for SONiC (x86), FBOSS (x86), and OpenBMC (ARM) platforms-covering kernel/device-tree configuration, bootloader integration, DMTF-based manageability (MCTP, PLDM, Redfish), and peripheral drivers (I2C, SPI, PCIe, GPIO). Design embedded diagnostic firmware in C/C++ for hardware bring-up, manufacturing validation, and health monitoring. Develop ASIC-level tests (memory, SerDes, datapath) and platform-level diagnostic suites (PCIe, power rail, thermal, transceiver), integrating diagnostics into manufacturing flows and field RMA processes. Contribute to relevant open-source communities.
System Performance Analysis and Troubleshooting: Use structured debug methodologies and hardware tools (JTAG, logic analyzers) to isolate hardware vs. software failures and drive root-cause resolution. Profile and optimize platform software for boot time, latency, and resource utilization.
Hardware and Software Testing and Validation: Plan and execute HW/SW validation campaigns with defined pass/fail criteria. Build automated test infrastructure in Python and Bash for orchestration, log parsing, and CI/CD integration. Instrument code for coverage and maintain quality metrics.
Diagnostic Tools and Methodologies Development: Build scripts and utilities (Python, Bash) for faster debug, capture, and repeatable runs; standardize trace/result workflows; and hook into validation pipelines and internal tooling as programs scale.
Collaboration with Cross-Functional Teams: Partner with hardware, firmware/software, validation, and program teams on priorities, joint debug, and evolving diagnostic coverage for production-quality outcomes.
Ownership of Code Quality, Performance, and Reliability: Deliver maintainable code with solid tests, reviews, and engineering practice so platform,diagnostic firmware and related software meet performance and production standards.
Qualifications
- Strong analysis and hands-on troubleshooting on complex HW/SW systems.
- Proven testing and validation of hardware and software for performance and reliability.
- Strong proficiency in C/C++ for embedded and systems-level development; Python and Bash for automation, scripting, and tooling
- EE background: circuit design and system integration.
- Clear written and verbal communication across disciplines.
- Strong understanding of hardware interfaces and protocols: I2C, SPI, PCIe, UART, GPIO, MDIO, JTAG. Diagnostic tools and methodologies (plus).
- Bachelor’s or higher in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
- 10+ years in platform, diagnostic embedded firmware development.