Principal Firmware Engineer (Optical Photonics)

Location: San Jose, California, USA — on-site

Salary: $134,750–$192,500 base annual salary

Company

hirify.global develops optical and photonic solutions for high-speed networks, AI and cloud computing, data centers, telecom, and advanced manufacturing.

What you will do

• Own firmware architecture and technical roadmaps for embedded platforms used in optical, laser, telecom, and high-reliability systems.
• Lead the full firmware lifecycle from requirements and design through implementation, verification, production release, and sustaining.
• Develop MCU/MPU firmware using bare-metal, RTOS, and embedded Linux approaches, including board bring-up and low-level drivers.
• Define interfaces across firmware, hardware, FPGA, optics, and host software using protocols such as I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, and Ethernet.
• Build fault handling, diagnostics, telemetry, logging, upgrade mechanisms, and robust state machines.
• Lead design and code reviews, root-cause analysis, and corrective actions while collaborating with systems, hardware, optical engineering, test, reliability, manufacturing, and program management.

Requirements

• 10+ years of professional embedded firmware development experience, including ownership of shipped products.
• Expert proficiency in C/C++, Git, Segger IDE, Python, data analysis tools such as JMP and R, Windows, and Linux.
• Deep experience with RTOS development, including FreeRTOS, and bare-metal firmware involving interrupts, bootloaders, and HAL/LL drivers.
• Strong board bring-up, debugging, and laboratory skills with JTAG/SWD, logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, optical power meters, and optical wavemeters.
• Strong understanding of hardware/firmware integration and digital interfaces, including I2C, SPI, UART, GPIO, ADC/DAC, timers, and DMA.
• Hands-on experience with optical component calibration and control, including APC loops, bias and current tuning, heater and TEC control, signal monitoring, fault management, and telemetry.

Nice to have

• Experience developing firmware or software for optical transceiver modules and subsystems.
• Familiarity with CMIS and host interface management, including state machines, paging, diagnostics, alarms, and telemetry.
• Experience with manufacturing test flows, calibration, characterization, end-of-line verification, and Python tooling.

Culture & Benefits

• Flexible time off and health and wellness benefits.
• Tuition reimbursement and career growth support.
• On-site amenities including a gym, games room, prayer room, subsidized meals, and free coffee and tea.
• Employee stock options and incentive plans.
• Collaborative, innovative, and inclusive workplace with accommodation support during the hiring process.