Senior Firmware Engineer (FE)

Relevante; Rancho Cordova (CA); On-site; USD 162,000 - 198,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical Insurance

Dental Insurance

401(k) - Employer Match

Job summary

Relevante is seeking a Senior Firmware Engineer in Rancho Cordova, CA to lead NVMe firmware design and PCIe Gen5 integration. The role emphasizes protocol stack maintenance, command processing, and debug validation across PCIe/NVMe and SMBus/I3C interfaces.

The ideal candidate has 3+ years in SSD controller/firmware with strong C/C++ skills and hands-on debugging using JTAG/ICE, protocol analyzers, and logic analyzers. Onsite with relocation support likely.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in EE/CE/CS or related field.
• 3+ years of software/firmware experience in SSD controller/firmware architecture.
• Strong C/C++ programming and data structures in embedded software/firmware.
• Hands-on NVMe protocol and PCIe Gen5 knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Design and maintain the NVMe protocol stack and queue management.
• Ensure NVMe spec and PCIe Gen5 compliance.
• Design SMBus and I3C communication protocols for host interaction.
• Implement NVMe command parsing and multi-namespace support.
• Develop SMBus/I3C read/write commands and data flow.
• Capture and analyze PCIe/NVMe transactions with analyzers and logs.
• Collaborate with validation teams for compliance, stress, and corner tests.
• Provide root-cause analysis and fixes for protocol issues.

Skills

SSD controller

NVMe protocol

C/C++ programming

JTAG/ICE debugging

PCIe Gen5

SMBus/I3C

Firmware debugging

Education

Master's degree in Electrical Engineering / Computer Engineering / Computer Science

Tools

Git

JTAG/ICE debuggers

Job description

Salary: $ 180,000.00

We have partnered with a large Semiconductor Manufacturing and Technology Services in the Rancho Cordova, CA area to provide them with a Senior Firmware Engineer(FE). Please review the below description and let us know if you are interested.

Prioritized Must Have Skills for the Senior Firmware Engineer(FE):

#1. 3+ years of experience in SSD controller and firmware development, with strong knowledge of NVMe protocol stack architecture.

#2. Strong C/C++ programming and data structures experience in embedded software/firmware development.

#3. Hands-on experience with NVMe command processing, Submission/Completion Queues, PCIe Gen5, and NVMe protocol compliance.

#4. Strong experience with SMBus and/or I3C protocols, including command handling, data transfer, error detection, and recovery.

#5. Hands-on experience with firmware debugging and validation using JTAG/ICE debuggers, protocol analyzers, logic analyzers, and firmware logs.

Responsibilities of the Senior Firmware Engineer(FE):

• Protocol Stack Design and Maintenance
  • Design and maintain the NVMe protocol stack, including Admin and I/O command processing, and Submission/Completion Queue management.
  • Ensure full compliance with the latest NVMe specifications and PCIe Gen5 protocol requirements.
  • Design and implement SMBus and I3C communication protocols, ensuring reliable and accurate data exchange with the host controller.
• Command Processing and Flow Control
  • Implement NVMe command parsing, data transfer mechanisms, and completion flows, supporting multi-namespace operations.
  • Implement SMBus/I3C read/write commands and data flow, including status monitoring, temperature/voltage reporting, and control command handling.
• Error Reporting and Recovery
  • Implement proper status code reporting, Asynchronous Event Notification (AEN), and error recovery flows to ensure host compatibility.
  • Handle timeout, abort, and reset scenarios to maintain system stability and minimize host impact.
  • Design SMBus/I3C error detection and retry mechanisms to prevent transmission errors from causing system failures.
• Compliance and Interoperability
  • Verify compatibility with industry-standard NVMe compliance tools and host platforms.
  • Validate SMBus and I3C communication against JEDEC/MIPI specifications to ensure broad interoperability with different host systems and controllers.
• Debug and Validation
  • Capture and analyze PCIe/NVMe transactions using protocol analyzers, logic analyzers, and firmware logs.
  • Monitor SMBus/I3C transfers, analyze timing and error conditions, and ensure firmware implementation is stable and reliable.
  • Collaborate with validation teams to execute compliance, stress, and corner-case tests, including hot-plug, power management, error injection, and multi-protocol concurrency tests.
  • Provide root-cause analysis and implement fixes for protocol-related issues found during validation or in customer systems.

Requirements of the Senior Firmware Engineer(FE):

• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• At least 3 years of experience in software/firmware applications engineering.
• At least 3 years of experience with SSD controller/firmware architecture.
• Strong experience in C/C++ programming and data structures.
• Hands-on experience with JTAG/ICE debuggers.
• Experience with version control software such as Git.
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within a small team.
• Must be willing to learn quickly and work effectively as a team player.
• Strong oral, written, and presentation skills for communication and documentation.
• Ability to work independently with minimal day-to-day supervision.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience operating logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, and bus protocol analyzers.
• Familiarity with SATA/PCIe (NVMe) protocols.
• Familiarity with NAND flash protocols.
• Linux system debugging experience.
• Fluency in reading and writing Mandarin preferred.

Other Key Requirements:

• Onsite opportunity.
• No Corp-to-Corp (C2C) arrangements.
• Visa sponsorship may be available on a case-by-case basis for qualified candidates whose skills and experience align with the requirements of the position.
• Relocation assistance may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Benefits of the Senior Firmware Engineer(FE):

• Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• 401(k) - Employer Match