Firmware Design Engineer (High-Speed SERDES PHY)

Job Title

Firmware Design Engineer (High-Speed SERDES PHY)

Role Summary

Join a firmware team developing physical IP for industry-standard high-speed serial-link (SERDES) protocols. The role covers firmware architecture, implementation, verification support, post-silicon validation, and customer deployment support.

Experience Level

Mid-level. No explicit years-of-experience listed.

Responsibilities

The engineer will develop and support firmware across design, verification, and deployment phases. Key responsibilities include:

• Contribute to firmware architecture and implement assigned firmware features.
• Work closely with verification teams to debug and fix firmware issues found during simulation.
• Participate in post-silicon testing and validation; identify firmware or hardware-related functional and performance issues and implement firmware improvements.
• Develop system-level prototype control software to validate adaptation, equalization, and control algorithms for high-speed SERDES.
• Support electrical and system characterization during validation.
• Assist Product Engineering and System Validation teams to debug field issues and provide hot fixes.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills and attributes:

• Strong programming skills in C/C++ and Python.
• Experience or knowledge of digital verification methodologies (UVM, SystemVerilog).
• Understanding of wireline communication principles.
• Familiarity with mixed-signal circuit design and digital signal processing techniques.
• Strong problem-solving ability and clear communication skills.

Nice-to-have:

• Experience with SERDES PHY firmware, post-silicon bring-up, or IP customer deployment.
• Background in developing system-level prototype control or calibration software.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's (BSc) or Master's (MSc) degree in Electrical Engineering.

About the Company

Company: Cadence Design Systems

Headquarters: San Jose, California, USA

Cadence Design Systems is a global electronic design automation company that provides software, hardware, and intellectual property for designing advanced semiconductor chips. With over 25 years in the industry, Cadence is known for its innovative technology solutions and has been recognized by Fortune Magazine as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For. The company is dedicated to solving complex technical challenges in order to enable customers to create revolutionary products and experiences.