Firmware Engineer - San Jose, California, United States
Originally posted 20 October 2026 by the employer.
About the role
Architect and develop firmware and microcontroller subsystems for Astera Labs' SoC and systems products, implementing differentiating features and engaging directly with customers.
What you'll do
- Architect and develop firmware and microcontroller subsystems for SoC and systems products. - Develop firmware for on-chip microcontrollers and C-language SDKs targeting system host CPUs and embedded microprocessors. - Collaborate with logic designers to implement and test HW-SW interfaces on complex SoCs. - Design, implement, and write unit-level tests across firmware components. - Work directly with customer-facing teams to ensure firmware meets customer requirements.
What you'll need
- Bachelor’s in EE or Computer Science. - Minimum 5 years' experience supporting or developing complex SoC/silicon products for Server, Storage, and/or Networking applications. - High level of proficiency in C (preferred) or C++, including development of C-based SDKs and firmware. - Proficiency in Python for scripting. - Working knowledge of software build environments (gcc/make) and developer workflows (git, code reviews, CI). - Hands-on experience with Server, Storage, and/or Networking equipment, alongside familiarity with SoC interfaces to HW blocks and on-chip memory interfaces.
Nice to have
- Firmware development experience using RTOS. - Experience developing boot-ROM and familiarity working in pre-Silicon environments (Simulation and emulation). - Experience with secure boot flows (authentication, attestation, and standards like DICE, Caliptra).
This role has been open 0 days — well below the 56-day median for Embedded Firmware Engineering roles.
Embedded Firmware Engineering · Systems Software
|
Open roles in category
738
|
Median days open
56 d
|
Median salary
$169k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, and who else is hiring
| Metric | Astera Labs | All employers we track in this specialty (738 roles · 83 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 5 | 738 |
| Open roles in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family | 16 | 6222 · 145 employers |
| Median days open | 16 d | 56 d (−40 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $169k |
Who's hiring in this category
- Qualcomm · 123 open roles · median 50 d
- AMD · 63 open roles · median 38 d
- Micron Technology · 61 open roles · median 88 d
- NVIDIA · 56 open roles · median 61 d
- Lattice Semiconductor · 48 open roles · median 41 d
- NXP Semiconductors · 30 open roles · median 33 d
How we counted: 738 open Embedded Firmware Engineering (Systems Software) roles from 83 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 20 Oct 2026. Specialty figures count only roles carrying this exact specialty label, so an employer's related work in neighbouring specialties is not included there — it is counted in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family row. Figures refresh nightly.