Principal Firmware Engineer
Originally posted 17 September 2026 by the employer — open 3 days.
About the role
This role involves developing and optimizing firmware for DDR, LPDDR, and HBM memory interface PHY training sequences. You will work on memory interface PHYs that power DDR, LPDDR, and HBM solutions.
What you'll do
- Develop and optimize firmware for DDR, LPDDR, and HBM memory interface PHY training sequences
- Profile compiled firmware at the instruction level to identify runtime bottlenecks and implement optimizations
- Analyze RTL waveforms and testchip data in the hardware lab to understand eye margin sensitivity and refine training algorithms
- Collaborate with firmware architecture to study JEDEC protocol specifications and propose algorithmic improvements
- Debug complex hardware-software interaction issues across firmware, RTL, and physical silicon
- Explore and prototype how emerging modeling techniques could be applied to memory training workflows
What you'll need
- Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, or related field with 12+ years of software development experience, Master's with 10+ years, or PhD with 8+ years
- Deep proficiency in C for embedded firmware development, including experience optimizing for resource-constrained processors
- Hands-on experience with RTL waveform analysis and debugging using tools like Verdi, DVE, or similar
- Demonstrated ability to work at the hardware-software boundary, understanding how firmware interacts with digital logic and physical interfaces
- Experience profiling and optimizing compiled code for performance-critical applications
- Strong debugging skills across firmware, RTL simulation, and hardware lab environments
This role has been open 1 day — well below the 59-day median for Embedded Firmware Engineering roles.
Embedded Firmware Engineering · Systems Software
|
Open roles in category
715
|
Median days open
59 d
|
Median salary
$173k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, and who else is hiring
| Metric | Synopsys | All employers we track in this specialty (715 roles · 75 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 1 | 715 |
| Open roles in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family | 34 | 5787 · 143 employers |
| Median days open | 1 d | 59 d (−58 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $173k |
Who's hiring in this category
- Qualcomm · 123 open roles · median 59 d
- Micron Technology · 62 open roles · median 67 d
- NVIDIA · 58 open roles · median 48 d
- AMD · 48 open roles · median 30 d
- Lattice Semiconductor · 47 open roles · median 12 d
- NXP Semiconductors · 33 open roles · median 60 d
How we counted: 715 open Embedded Firmware Engineering (Systems Software) roles from 75 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 20 Sept 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.