The Job

Firmware Engineer – SerDes PHY (all levels)

Technology, Data & Digital · Software & Web Development · Software Engineering · Embedded Systems

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In short

Qualcomm is seeking a Firmware Engineer for their SerDes PHY team in Toronto, Ontario. This role involves designing, developing, and validating embedded software for high-performance SerDes IP used in data center, AI/ML, automotive, and compute applications. The position offers opportunities to lead firmware architecture and development from pre-silicon to post-silicon phases.

Responsibilities

  • Design, develop, create, modify, and validate embedded and cloud edge software, applications, and/or specialized utility programs.
  • Collaborate with systems, hardware, architecture, and test engineers to design system-level software solutions.
  • Develop critical embedded software powering high-performance multi-standard Serializer/Deserializer (SerDes) PHY IP.
  • Own the full embedded software stack controlling SerDes hardware, including low-level embedded firmware, customer-facing C SDKs, demo & automation scripts, and interactive tools.
  • Lead firmware architecture, development, integration, and bring-up for SerDes PHY portfolio.
  • Drive firmware definition, architecture, and development from RTL/digital design phase through post-silicon phase with device-level bring-up and debug.
  • Work with hardware, systems, and software teams to drive requirements and successful chip bring-up.
  • Drive code re-use across the organization with firmware and embedded software engineers.
  • Identify and meet deadlines with program managers.
  • Develop embedded firmware running on RISC-V-based controllers.
  • Create Python and C SDKs for SerDes bring-up, calibration, tuning, and diagnostics.
  • Develop Python-based lab tools and GUIs for interactive debug, register access, and validation.
  • Build, regress, and maintain CI infrastructure to ensure code quality and full coverage.
  • Serve as technical or project lead for SerDes firmware on major IP programs.
  • Gather requirements, study high-level designs, develop device interface functions, and create higher-level firmware system designs.
  • Architect and implement embedded C/C++ firmware for hardware calibration, training algorithms, DSP adaptations, and link state management.
  • Define detailed bring-up and validation requirements and meet performance goals with multi-functional teams.
  • Communicate requirements and coordinate execution across multiple teams and sites.
  • Translate bring-up and validation requirements into efficient C/C++ firmware code and well-structured software organization.
  • Translate protocol specifications into internal firmware architecture and documentation.
  • Develop test and debug capabilities to guide hardware design decisions for future product iterations.
  • Debug complex lab and field issues in conjunction with hardware, applications, and validation teams.
  • Drive multi-functional teams and partners to address integration and bring-up challenges.
  • Plan and develop test cases that improve reliability and release quality.
  • Work with external vendors and customers to ensure requirements are met and releases are of high quality.
  • Drive and collaborate across functions to define FW milestones, plan sprints, close tickets, and deliver reliable, high-quality features.
  • Implement industry best practices and document firmware and hardware design specifications and decisions.
  • Mentor junior engineers, promote team building, and drive continuous improvement in processes and techniques.
  • Demonstrate full ownership of assigned systems/components, managing timelines and resolving project challenges.
  • Stay current with advancements in the semiconductor industry and incorporate relevant innovations.
  • Support development and silicon bring-up across Qualcomm teams and other sites.

Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 6+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
  • OR Master's degree in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 5+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
  • OR PhD in Engineering, Information Systems, Computer Science, or related field and 4+ years of Software Engineering or related work experience.
  • 3+ years of work experience with Programming Language such as C, C++, Java, Python, etc.
  • BS/MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field
  • 7+ years of experience in embedded C/C++ firmware development for hardware IP or SoCs, with strong proficiency in C/C++ and Python
  • Hands-on experience with embedded architectures such as ARM, RISC-V, or MIPS, and with low-level programming on bare metal, RTOS, BIOS/UEFI firmware, Linux kernel, or device drivers
  • Technical or team leadership experience in embedded software projects from spec to production
  • Deep understanding of microcontroller architecture (RISC-V a plus), memory-mapped registers, ISRs, and boot flows
  • Systems mindset and experience developing SW/FW to control analog, digital, and mixed-signal circuits
  • Experience with SerDes, Ethernet, PCIe, CXL, or D2D/UCIe/chiplet products and communication systems
  • Strong lab debug skills, working directly on silicon with scopes, JTAG debuggers, I2C/SPI tools, analyzers, and custom tooling, including bring-up and diagnostics of high-speed signals
  • Familiarity with industry-standard EDA tools and methodologies used for digital verification, and with HDLs such as Verilog and SystemVerilog
  • Familiarity with git and modern software development methodologies
  • Excellent organizational and communication skills, a willingness to learn, and the ability to collaborate across functions and geographies

Desired Qualifications

  • Knowledge of SerDes and high-speed IO standards (PCIe, Ethernet, UCIe, CXL, etc.)
  • Experience with calibration algorithms, signal conditioning, and adaptive feedback control in hardware
  • Experience in silicon bring-up and post-silicon debug
  • Experience in pre-silicon firmware development (DV, emulation, etc.)
  • Knowledge of RTOS or bare-metal FW architectures, including embedded Linux development, Buildroot/Yocto, and RTOSes such as Zephyr and FreeRTOS
  • Knowledge of peripherals and protocols such as 1G/10G Ethernet, DDR, I2C, SPI/QSPI, MIPI/CSI, GMSL, A2B, I2S, TDM, LVDS, PCIe, USB, NVMe, and CAN
  • Experience developing drivers for multiple devices at the PCB level to interact with whole systems
  • Experience creating error monitoring and board/interface configuration APIs
  • Hands-on lab validation experience with CPU, SoC, FPGA, MCU, and DSP components, including developing tests and debug tools
  • Experience working with FPGAs such as Xilinx, Zed, and Micro Zed
  • Hardware hands-on and debugging experience, such as power, SI, and EMC validation and tuning
  • Scripting in Python, Bash, etc. for lab automation and testing
  • Familiarity with digital design concepts (Verilog/SystemVerilog), simulation, and DV flows
  • Exposure to the OSI model, especially the physical and data link layers
  • Understanding of signal processing concepts such as eye diagrams, jitter, BER, SNR, and CTLE/DFE/FFE
  • Experience with Jira, Agile/Scrum, and Confluence
  • Contributions to open source projects

Benefits

  • Qualcomm is committed to providing an accessible process for individuals with disabilities during the application/hiring process.
  • Qualcomm is committed to making our workplace accessible for individuals with disabilities.
#firmware#engineer#SerDes#PHY#embedded#software#engineering#Qualcomm#Toronto#Canada
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Company

Qualcomm

Job Posted

17 hours ago

Employment Type

Full Time

WorkMode

On Site

Locations

Toronto, Canada

Qualification

Bachelor, Master, Doctoral

Applicants

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