Job Description

Senior Principal Engineer – Firmware (SerDes & DSP)


Location: Bengaluru, India

Minimum Experience: 15+ years


Role Overview

We are seeking a Senior Principal Engineer for Engineering Company to lead firmware development for complex, high-performance SerDes and DSP-based systems . This is a highly visible, hands-on leadership role where you will own firmware architecture, guide cross-functional teams, and drive products from early silicon bring-up through volume production. This role would require travel to the US/ Europe for upto 3-weeks per year.


This role requires deep, hands-on firmware experience with SerDes & DSP systems.

Mandatory Experience (Must-Have)
  • Hands-on firmware development for SerDes & DSP systems (Mandatory)
  • Experience with SERDES, IM-DD / Coherent DSP, Ethernet or PCIe PHYs, and Optical Module software
  • Proven expertise in developing embedded C/C++ firmware tightly coupled with DSP hardware
  • Strong experience debugging SerDes/DSP-based systems on real hardware
  • Experience leading firmware development for complex embedded products through production
Key Responsibilities
  • Serve as technical and/or project lead for firmware development, guiding a team of 2–8 engineers
  • Own architecture, design, development, and testing of embedded firmware controlling complex DSP hardware
  • Drive complex HW/SW debug, identify root causes, and collaborate with hardware, validation, and customer teams
  • Plan firmware milestones, execute sprint-based development, close defects, and deliver production-quality releases
  • Translate complex system and standards specifications (MSA / OIF / CMIS) into clear internal documentation and design artifacts
  • Mentor junior engineers and conduct design and code reviews
  • Support post-silicon bring-up, field issues, and customer escalations
  • Travel globally for product development and chip bring-up (~3 weeks per year)
Required Skills & Qualifications
  • 15+ years of experience in memory-constrained embedded C/C++ firmware development
  • Proven experience as a Technical Lead or Software Team Lead on embedded products through volume production
  • Strong understanding of:
  • Embedded SoCs and microcontroller architectures (RISC-V preferred )
  • Memory-mapped hardware, GPIOs, ISRs, and low-level HW interfaces
  • Excellent debugging skills on real hardware in lab environments
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills in English
  • Proficiency with Git , defect tracking tools (Jira or similar), and Linux development environments
Preferred / Nice-to-Have Skills
  • Designing and debugging firmware state machines
  • DSP fundamentals: BER, SNR, FFT, impulse & frequency response, histograms, sampling phase
  • Experience with bare-metal, RTOS, device drivers, or Linux kernel
  • Mixed-signal control systems (analog + digital, PID / feedback loops)
  • Proficiency in Python for tooling, automation, or GUI development
  • Familiarity with:
  • Compiler toolchains (gcc / clang)
  • FPGA emulation and DV simulation environments
  • Verilog and digital verification flows
  • Lab equipment such as oscilloscopes, PNAs, ONTs, and power supplies
  • Understanding of networking fundamentals (PHY to Data Link layer)
Compensation & Benefits
  • Competitive compensation package
  • RSUs and sign-on bonus included
  • Relocation support: Not available


Apply for this Position

Ready to join ? Click the button below to submit your application.

Submit Application