Senior Embedded SERDES Firmware/Diagnostics Engineer
Architect and bring up embedded firmware for Ethernet SerDes, retimers, and optical module platforms.
About the role
TYLsemi is seeking a senior firmware engineer to architect, develop, and bring up embedded firmware for Ethernet SerDes, retimers, and diagnostics. The scope covers ARM and RISC-V control architectures, optical engines, module platforms, and custom control ASICs.
What you'll do
- Architect, develop, debug, and release production firmware for optical engines and module platforms across SFP, QSFP, and OSFP form factors.
- Define digital requirements for custom control ASICs, covering MCU selection, memory maps, boot sequence, peripherals, telemetry, diagnostics, MACsec engines, and PTP hardware timestamping.
- Partner with ASIC, RTL, and verification teams on architecture, board bring-up, and system-level debug.
- Build and maintain firmware for Ethernet, PCIe, and SerDes link training, interop, compliance, PTP/IEEE 1588, MACsec, and host interfaces.
- Lead first firmware bring-up on new modules and ASICs, driving root-cause analysis across lab, qualification, and field returns.
- Deliver firmware for manufacturing test, screening, calibration engines, and lookup tables, while owning build/release pipelines and CI/CD automation.
What you'll need
- BS, MS, or PhD in EE, CE, CS, or equivalent with 8+ years of experience in embedded firmware.
- Expert C and C-based SDK development, with exposure to modern C++ or Rust.
- Experience defining MCU requirements for ARM or RISC-V, and working with I2C, I3C, SPI, MDIO, and GPIO.
- Strong Python skills for test automation, data processing, and firmware QC.
- Hands-on experience with GCC/Make, Git/GitHub, Doxygen, CI/CD, and hardware-in-the-loop automation.
- Experience utilizing AI-assisted coding, refactoring, and test generation in an embedded workflow.
Nice to have
- Experience with MACsec (802.1AE) key management or data-plane acceleration, and PTP hardware timestamping or clock recovery in optical hardware.
- Experience with Root of Trust, Secure Boot, and secure firmware update (FOTA/UFOTA).
- Background in SerDes management, link-training tuning, and real-time diagnostic frameworks.
- Exposure to product qualification, stress testing, reliability investigations, and board-level FA.
More semiconductor jobs: Firmware engineer jobs · San Jose jobs
This role has been open 30 days — well below the 54-day median for Embedded Firmware Engineering roles.
Embedded Firmware Engineering · Systems Software
|
Open roles in category
764
|
Median days open
54 d
|
Category median salary (all employers)
$173k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, and who else is hiring
| Metric | TYLsemi | All employers we track in this specialty (764 roles · 86 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 3 | 764 |
| Open roles in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family | 5 | 6531 · 156 employers |
| Median days open | 40 d | 54 d (−14 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $173k |
Who's hiring in this category
- Qualcomm · 110 open roles · median 63 d
- NVIDIA · 80 open roles · median 53 d
- AMD · 56 open roles · median 46 d
- Micron Technology · 50 open roles · median 75 d
- Lattice Semiconductor · 41 open roles · median 59 d
- NXP Semiconductors · 37 open roles · median 34 d
How we counted: 764 open Embedded Firmware Engineering (Systems Software) roles from 86 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 8 Nov 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.