$160,000 - $200,000 USD yearly
About the role
The Sr. SSD Applications Engineer develops front end firmware features and resolves customer integration issues to support SSD product requirements. The role focuses on PCIe and NVMe protocols across enterprise and data center storage controller platforms.
What you'll do
- Develop and modify front end firmware features for SSD products following PCIe and NVMe protocols.
- Debug host interface issues encountered during internal or customer firmware testing, performing root cause analysis.
- Work directly with hardware designers and engineering teams to resolve customer issues and drive design-in and qualification requirements.
- Analyze PCIe protocol traces to identify root causes for front end and platform-related integration barriers.
- Participate in customer meetings and presentations, serving as a technical advisor and consultant for data center and enterprise accounts.
- Advocate customer technical requirements to internal stakeholders to shape future controller and firmware definitions.
What you'll need
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
- At least 3 years of experience in software/firmware applications engineering and SSD controller/firmware architecture.
- At least 3 years of experience with PCIe and NVMe protocols in firmware development and debugging (e.g., host reset, power management, namespace, MSI-X, SMBus, ARP, NVMe commands).
- At least 3 years of experience analyzing PCIe protocol traces and working in the storage industry (SSD, HDD, or storage systems).
- Strong experience in C/C++ programming, data structures, Git, and hands-on use of JTAG/ICE debuggers.
- Experience with Windows and Linux operating systems, datacenter storage architecture, and protocol analysis tools like logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, and bus protocol analyzers.
Nice to have
- Fluent in reading and writing Mandarin.
Skills: customer requirements, SSD controller, firmware features, PCIe NVMe, debug customer issues, technical advisor
More semiconductor jobs: Field applications engineer jobs
This role has been open 138 days — well above the 60-day median for Applications FAE roles.
Applications FAE · Memory Design
|
Open roles in category
30
|
Median days open
60 d
|
Category median salary (all employers)
$172k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, skills in demand, and who else is hiring
| Metric | Silicon Motion | All employers we track in this specialty (30 roles · 12 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 2 | 30 |
| Median days open | 75 d | 60 d (+15 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $172k |
Skills observed across this category: customer requirements, SSD controller, firmware features, PCIe NVMe, debug customer issues, technical advisor
Who's hiring in this category
- Micron Technology · 7 open roles · median 80 d
- Teradyne · 5 open roles · median 101 d
- SK Hynix America · 4 open roles · median 124 d
- Synopsys · 3 open roles · median 40 d
- Samsung Semiconductor · 2 open roles · median 175 d
- SanDisk · 2 open roles · median 9 d
How we counted: 30 open Applications FAE (Memory Design) roles from 12 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. Figures refresh nightly.
