What are the responsibilities and job description for the Principal GPU Firmware Engineer position at PER International?
Position: Principal GPU Firmware Engineer
Location: San Diego (4 days onsite)
Employment Type: Full-Time/Permanent
Overview
We are partnering with a leading semiconductor company to hire a Principal GPU Firmware Engineer to join a high-impact engineering team working on advanced GPU architectures.
This is a hands-on individual contributor role focused on low-level firmware development, performance optimization, and close collaboration with hardware teams to deliver cutting-edge GPU solutions.
Summary
You will play a key role in the design, development, and optimization of firmware for complex GPU systems. This position requires deep technical expertise, strong ownership, and the ability to operate at a senior staff level within a cross-functional environment.
Key responsibilities include:
- Design and develop low-level firmware for GPU architectures, including hardware interfaces and driver-level functionality
- Collaborate with hardware architects and system engineers to define and implement firmware solutions aligned with performance and power targets
- Optimize firmware for performance, power efficiency, and thermal behavior
- Debug complex system-level issues across hardware and software boundaries
- Lead or drive key firmware initiatives from concept through to production
- Contribute to validation strategies and ensure robust, high-quality firmware delivery
- Mentor junior engineers and provide technical guidance where needed
- Represent firmware in cross-functional discussions and influence technical direction
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field
- 8-15 years of experience in firmware, low-level software, or systems programming
- Strong programming skills in C/C
- Experience working close to hardware, including debugging and performance tuning
- Background in one or more of the following:
- GPU firmware
- GPU drivers
- Low-level GPU or graphics software
- Solid understanding of system-level behavior, performance optimization, and resource management
- Proven track record of ownership and delivery in complex engineering environments
Preferred Experience
- Deep understanding of GPU architecture and graphics pipelines
- Experience with graphics APIs such as OpenGL or Vulkan
- Exposure to performance profiling and optimization tools
- Experience with power management or thermal optimization
- Familiarity with scripting (Python, Bash) for automation and testing
- Experience in semiconductor, SoC, or high-performance compute environments
Additional Information
- This is a hands-on IC role at a senior staff / principal level
- Candidates must be willing to work onsite in San Diego 4 days per week
- Relocation support is available for the right candidate
INTERESTED?
We are committed to submitting suitable candidates for this vacancy to our client ASAP, for more information contact Renz Moreno at PER Recruitment or send your CV to renz@per-international.com