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Senior Principal Engineer, Software/Firmware

CXI Staffing
Santa Clara, CA Full Time
POSTED ON 6/15/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 7/13/2026

Now Hiring: USC

Title: Senior Principal Engineer, Software/Firmware
Location: Santa Clara, CA

We''re seeking a highly experienced Senior Principal Firmware Engineer to lead the development of next-generation firmware solutions for coherent optical connectivity platforms.

Key Responsibilities:

✔ Own firmware development for coherent optical module programs from architecture through production release
✔ Lead bring-up, calibration, validation, and customer delivery milestones
✔ Design advanced firmware capabilities including hitless upgrades, bootloaders, CMIS compliance, and hardware abstraction layers
✔ Collaborate with DSP, hardware, ATE, and test engineering teams to solve complex system-level challenges
✔ Support customer engagements, field issue resolution, and technical escalations
✔ Mentor engineers and contribute to broader firmware architecture and release processes

Required Experience:

🔹 15 years of embedded software/firmware development experience
🔹 Deep expertise with coherent optical module firmware (400ZR, 400ZR , 800ZR, or equivalent)
🔹 Strong knowledge of OIF-400ZR, C-CMIS, and CMIS 4.x/5.x standards
🔹 Experience with SoC-based embedded platforms (MCU/DSP architectures)
🔹 Proficiency in C/C and Python for firmware development and automation
🔹 Expertise in bootloaders, flash management, and hitless/in-service firmware upgrades
🔹 Hands-on experience with lab bring-up, ATE integration, and hardware/firmware debugging
🔹 Familiarity with Jira, GitLab, and CI/CD firmware release workflows

Preferred Background:

⭐ Experience within optical module or optical semiconductor environments
⭐ Exposure to coherent DSP platforms
⭐ Knowledge of calibration and control algorithms for optical components

If you have a strong track record delivering complex embedded firmware solutions in the optical networking space and are interested in exploring this opportunity, please connect with me or send your updated resume.

#FirmwareEngineering #EmbeddedSystems #OpticalNetworking #CoherentOptics #400ZR #800ZR #CPO #EmbeddedFirmware #SoftwareEngineering #SantaClaraJobs #HiringNow

Salary.com Estimation for Senior Principal Engineer, Software/Firmware in Santa Clara, CA
$254,640 to $303,972
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