Staff Engineer, PCIe PHY/Link Analysis & Debug

Samsung Semiconductor; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 163,000 - 253,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Charitable match

Paid time off

Family support stipend

Therapy access

Onsite gym

Flexible environment

Job summary

Samsung Semiconductor in San Jose, CA is seeking a senior firmware and PCIe specialist to advance host interface firmware for NVMe products. You will analyze the PCIe stack, own LTSSM bring-up, and collaborate with hardware teams to ensure end-to-end data integrity across devices.

The role requires a strong background in C/C++ for embedded systems, experience with protocol analyzers, and willingness to travel up to 25%. Base pay ranges from $163,000–$253,000 USD per year, with generous benefits.

Qualifications

• BS in EE/CS with 8+ years hardware experience (MS with 5+ years acceptable).
• Deep PCIe protocol knowledge across PHY to Transport Layer.
• Strong C/C++ for embedded systems and debugging skills.

Responsibilities

• Protocol Stack Analysis: Understand PCIe stack from PHY to Transport Layer with internal/external teams.
• Link Bring-up & Training: Own LTSSM behavior, training, enumeration, and config-space flows on bring-up.
• Transaction/Transport Layer: Analyze and validate TLP/DLLP handling, flow control, and error handling (AER).
• Debug & Optimization: Debug PHY/Link/Transport issues during NVMe bring-up and sustainment (Gen1–Gen7).
• Compliance & Standards: Support PCI-SIG tests and industry PHY/Link compliance.
• Field Support: Provide onsite PHY/Link task support at customer sites and labs.

Skills

PCIe protocol expertise

LTSSM & link training

C/C++ for embedded systems

Firmware debugging

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor's in Computer/Electrical/Electronic Engineering or CS

MS in related field (optional)

Tools

PCIe protocol analyzers

Logic analyzers

UART/JTAG/ICE debuggers

Job description

Samsung Semiconductor in San Jose, CA is seeking a senior firmware and PCIe specialist to advance host interface firmware for NVMe products. You will analyze the PCIe stack, own LTSSM bring-up, and collaborate with hardware teams to ensure end-to-end data integrity across devices.

The role requires a strong background in C/C++ for embedded systems, experience with protocol analyzers, and willingness to travel up to 25%. Base pay ranges from $163,000–$253,000 USD per year, with generous benefits.