Platform Firmware Verification Technical Lead

Advanced Micro Devices; Markham; Hybrid; CAD 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading technology company is seeking a Technical Lead for its firmware team in Markham. This role involves owning firmware delivery and driving technical direction whilst mentoring junior engineers. The ideal candidate has strong leadership in firmware verification, experience across the verification lifecycle, and excellent collaboration skills. This is a hybrid position, requiring at least three days onsite per week. Ideal for individuals passionate about leading projects in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• Strong leadership in firmware verification with pre-silicon and post-silicon understanding.
• Extensive experience in verification lifecycle with analytical skills.
• Outstanding written/verbal communication and collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end delivery of firmware features or projects.
• Drive architectural and design decisions in collaboration with teams.
• Lead by influence to drive alignment and mentoring.

Skills

Firmware verification

Communication

Leadership

Problem-solving

C/C++ programming

Scripting (Python, PowerShell, Java)

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Software/Computer Engineering or Computer Science

Tools

Jenkins

GitHub

Jira

Job description

WHAT YOU DO AT AMD CHANGES EVERYTHING

At AMD, our mission is to build great products that accelerate next-generation computing experiences—from AI and data centers, to PCs, gaming and embedded systems. Grounded in a culture of innovation and collaboration, we believe real progress comes from bold ideas, human ingenuity and a shared passion to create something extraordinary. When you join AMD, you’ll discover the real differentiator is our culture. We push the limits of innovation to solve the world’s most important challenges—striving for execution excellence, while being direct, humble, collaborative, and inclusive of diverse perspectives. Join us as we shape the future of AI and beyond.

THE ROLE:

You will be joining the Platform Firmware Quality Verification (PFQV) team. You will be a hands‑on Technical Lead (MTS) within the platform firmware organization, responsible for end‑to‑end ownership and delivery of critical firmware. This role is designed for an experienced developer who wants to lead through influence, technical depth, and execution, while remaining a strong individual contributor.

• Working closely with cross‑functional firmware engineering teams and program leadership, you will engage in all aspects of verification, with a focus on developing methodologies that drive improvements during the pre‑silicon phase of SoC development.
• The ideal candidate brings a strong verification engineering background and passion for quality assurance, with clear ownership for outcomes—including quality, schedule, and technical direction—while mentoring and guiding others to elevate execution standards.
• Effective communication and seamless integration within the team and with cross‑functional partners are essential for success.

THE PERSON:

You are a technically strong, self‑driven engineer who takes ownership and steps into leadership when ambiguity arises. You excel at solving complex problems, driving alignment across teams, and enabling effective execution. You lead by example through high‑quality design, clean and maintainable code, clear communication, and consistent follow‑through.

You are comfortable influencing without formal authority, balancing deep technical understanding with practical decision‑making, and holding yourself and others accountable for results. Passionate about software quality, you bring creative, effective problem‑solving and thrive independently and collaboratively in fast‑paced environments. You proactively take initiative, mentor others, and collaborate effectively with cross‑functional teams.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Technical Ownership & Delivery

• Own the end‑to‑end delivery of firmware features or projects, from scoping and design through implementation, validation, and release, acting as the primary technical owner for assigned areas and ensuring correctness, robustness, and long‑term maintainability.
• Drive architectural and design decisions, and author and review design specifications and technical proposals, while collaborating closely with cross‑functional teams including firmware teams, simulation/virtual team, design verification team, and driver teams.
• Debug and resolve complex, cross‑component issues in pre‑silicon and post‑silicon environments to unblock execution and ensure high‑quality delivery.

Leadership & Influence

• Lead by influence to drive alignment, set technical direction, and unblock execution across teams, while setting a high bar for engineering excellence, development discipline, and quality.
• Mentor and guide junior and mid‑level engineers through design reviews, code reviews, and day‑to‑day technical coaching to elevate overall execution standards.

Execution & Cross‑Team Collaboration

• Partner with program managers, architects, validation, and other firmware teams to identify dependencies, risks, and execution gaps, and proactively track progress to ensure alignment across stakeholders.
• Surface issues early and drive them to closure, while balancing short‑term delivery needs with long‑term technical health.

PREFERRED EXPERIENCE:

• Strong leadership in firmware verification with solid pre‑silicon and post‑silicon functional verification understanding; proven ability to lead initiatives with clear ownership and accountability.
• Extensive full verification lifecycle experience (design, implementation, debugging, validation, sustainment) with excellent analytical/troubleshooting skills, strong debug capability, and effective issue management.
• Outstanding communication and collaboration (written/verbal/interpersonal) and ability to work closely with cross‑functional teams including firmware, simulation/virtual, design verification, and driver teams.
• Expert in firmware QA concepts, best practices, and procedures; maintains vigilance for improving validation processes, applications, and methodologies.
• Develop verification requirements, test plans, and test cases with firmware engineering and verification teams; experienced in creating and reviewing requirements and test plans.
• Conduct functional, regression, and performance testing to validate firmware functionality and stability.
• Comfortable with scripting (e.g., Python, Windows PowerShell, Java) and experienced with Jenkins server operation and pipeline scripting.
• Strong low‑level C/C++ skills; familiar with firmware architecture across the stack; experience in VM management and simulation/emulation environments; proficient with Jama, GitHub, and Jira.

ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Software/Computer Engineering, Computer Science or other relevant fields
• Onsite/Hybrid: This is a hybrid role (at least 3 days onsite a week) in the AMD Markham office.

AMD benefits at a glance

AMD does not accept unsolicited resumes from headhunters, recruitment agencies, or fee‑based recruitment services. AMD and its subsidiaries are equal opportunity, inclusive employers and will consider all applicants without regard to age, ancestry, color, marital status, medical condition, mental or physical disability, national origin, race, religion, political and/or third‑party affiliation, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We encourage applications from all qualified candidates and will accommodate applicants’ needs under the respective laws throughout all stages of the recruitment and selection process.

AMD may use Artificial Intelligence to help screen, assess or select applicants for this position. AMD’s “Responsible AI Policy” is available here.

This posting is for an existing vacancy.