Principal Software Engineer -memory constrained embedded C/C++ Firmware development

About Marvell

Marvell’s semiconductor solutions are the essential building blocks of the data infrastructure that connects our world. Across enterprise, cloud and AI, and carrier architectures, our innovative technology is enabling new possibilities. 

At Marvell, you can affect the arc of individual lives, lift the trajectory of entire industries, and fuel the transformative potential of tomorrow. For those looking to make their mark on purposeful and enduring innovation, above and beyond fleeting trends, Marvell is a place to thrive, learn, and lead. 

This is an existing vacancy.

Your Team, Your Impact

The Optical Digital Signal Processing (ODSP) PHY SW Team develops software for Marvell's DSP products used in pluggable optical modules—chips that form the backbone of the internet, moving data within and between data centers worldwide. Marvell is the market leader in direct-detect optical DSPs (100G to 1.6T), with products deployed in every major cloud data center and AI cluster. We own all SW components including embedded FW, customer SDK, and lab scripts, and we're the go-to group for getting things done across the entire product lifecycle—from pre-silicon simulation through field deployment.

What You Can Expect

The core responsibilities for the SW team include embedded FW that runs on our RISC-V-based multi-core MCU, C SDK provided to customers, Python-based GUI for in-field debug, and test infrastructure for the above.

The SW team is a key enabler for bringing a product to production, and the role of a Principal Engineer in our team is to ensure the overall success of that product. This role combines technical leadership with project coordination responsibilities.

Technical Leadership & Development

• Lead the Architecture, Design, Development, and Testing of embedded C firmware for controlling our extremely complicated DSP HW
• Serve as the technical lead on a product, guiding SW team members (2-8 developers) through the development process
• Drive firmware development for DSP control blocks including RX/TX signal processing, FEC, PLL/FLL, reference generation, and thermal monitoring
• Lead technical reviews of firmware architecture, API design, and system integration approaches
• Translate complex specifications from standards bodies (MSA/OIF/CMIS) or directly from customers into easy-to-digest requirements, and clear sequence diagrams to aid in development
• Take lead on difficult to debug issues, drive to root causes with HW/Systems teams, and follow up with test/validation/customer support teams

Project Coordination & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work with the cross-functional team to plan SW milestones, develop in sprints, closing tickets, and roll out features for the product
• Coordinate with Marketing, AE, Test, Validation, SW_QA, and Hardware teams to align on deliverables and schedules
• Provide regular status updates on milestones, scope, dependencies, and blockers
• Manage Agile sprint planning and backlog prioritization in collaboration with stakeholders

Customer Engagement & Support

• Lead technical discussions with tier-1 customers on feature requirements, API specifications, and implementation
• Support customer bring-up activities and resolve field issues
• Work with AE teams to understand customer expectations and deliver critical features
• Handle customer-specific feature development such as FEC burst statistics, VDM telemetry, and CMIS compliance

Team Development

• Mentor engineers on embedded firmware development, debugging techniques, and best practices
• Conduct code reviews and provide technical guidance to ensure code quality and maintainability
• Foster collaboration across geographically distributed teams

What We're Looking For

Minimum Requirements:

• BS/MS degree in Computer Science, Electrical/Software Engineering, or related technical field(s)
• 10+ years of experience in memory constrained embedded C/C++ FW development
• SW Team Lead or Technical Lead experience on embedded projects
• Architecture design & development, code reviews & testing, through to customer volume production
• Understanding of embedded SoC, micro-controller architecture (RISC-V a plus), memory-mapped hardware interfaces, GPIOs, ISRs, etc.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English, and able to collaborate in a large cross functional organization
• Excellent problem-solving and customer debug skills on real hardware in the lab
• Experience with using revision control and defect tracking systems

Preferred but not required:

• Experience with SERDES, IM-DD/Coherent DSP, Ethernet/PCIe PHYs, and/or Optical Module SW
• Experience with designing/developing/debugging software state machines, transitions, context saving, error handling
• Experience with mixed-signal (analog+digital) control and monitoring, PID/feedback loop control
• Experience with bare-metal, RTOS, device driver, Linux kernel, etc.
• Familiarity with advanced compiler options and details (clang/gcc preferred)
• Proficient in C and Python, with knowledge of git, Linux, makefiles, gdb, IDEs, bash
• Familiarity with digital verification test flows, FPGA emulation, hardware languages such as Verilog
• Familiarity with lab equipment such as oscilloscopes, supplies, PNAs, ONTs
• Understanding of Ethernet networking from the OSI model, with emphasis on the PHY up to the data link level
• Familiarity with forward error correction, PCS framing, PMA/PMD, PRBS, and other PHY traffic schemes
• Understanding of signal processing: histograms, BER, SNR, sampling phase, Shannon limit, impulse & frequency response, FFT, etc.

Expected Base Pay Range (CAD)

145,800 - 194,400, $ per annum

Additional Compensation and Benefit Elements

With competitive compensation and great benefits, you will enjoy our workstyle within an environment of shared collaboration, transparency, and inclusivity. We’re dedicated to giving our people the tools and resources they need to succeed in doing work that matters, and to grow and develop with us. For additional information on what it’s like to work at Marvell, visit our Careers page.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability or protected veteran status.

Interview Integrity 

To support fair and authentic hiring practices, candidates are not permitted to use AI tools (such as transcription apps, real-time answer generators like ChatGPT or Copilot, or automated note-taking bots) during interviews.

These tools must not be used to record, assist with, or enhance responses in any way. Our interviews are designed to evaluate your individual experience, thought process, and communication skills in real time. Use of AI tools without prior instruction from the interviewer will result in disqualification from the hiring process.

This position may require access to technology and/or software subject to U.S. export control laws and regulations, including the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). As such, applicants must be eligible to access export-controlled information as defined under applicable law. Marvell may be required to obtain export licensing approval from the U.S. Department of Commerce and/or the U.S. Department of State. Except for U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, or protected individuals as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3), all applicants may be subject to an export license review process prior to employment.

Marvell may employ artificial intelligence technologies to assist in the evaluation of job applications. All application reviews include meaningful human involvement, and no hiring decisions are made solely on the basis of automated processing.

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