NFC FW Architect

Job Title

NFC Firmware Architect

Role Summary

Design and deliver low-level firmware architecture and platform software for NFC products. The role focuses on platform firmware (RISC-V/ARM), PCRM, tapeout readiness, and post-silicon bring-up, working closely with hardware, systems, validation, and firmware development teams.

Experience Level

Senior - typically 8–12 years of embedded firmware development experience in SoC, mobile, secure embedded, or RTOS-based systems.

Responsibilities

Accountable for firmware architecture, design, integration, and bring-up across pre-silicon and post-silicon phases.

• Define and support firmware architecture for RISC-V/ARM platforms and related platform software subsystems.
• Derive firmware requirements from system, hardware, PCRM, and customer specifications.
• Design low-level firmware components to meet functional, performance, memory, timing, and power constraints.
• Own firmware modules or platform subsystems from design through integration and silicon bring-up.
• Write firmware design and interface specifications and low-level platform documentation.
• Review designs and code, provide technical guidance, and maintain firmware quality.
• Support validation and bring-up environments for pre-silicon, emulation/FPGA, and post-silicon phases.
• Contribute to firmware test strategy at unit, integration, system, and silicon bring-up levels.
• Support tapeout readiness by reviewing firmware dependencies, boot flows, register/interface assumptions, and hardware-software integration risks.
• Collaborate with hardware development teams, system architects, and validation teams to resolve low-level integration issues.
• Define firmware design guidelines, development flows, debug approaches, and bring-up checklists.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills, tools, and practical experience for immediate contribution.

• 8–12 years of embedded firmware development experience in SoC, mobile, secure embedded, or RTOS-based systems.
• Embedded software development on 8/16/32-bit platforms; practical experience with RISC-V and ARM architectures.
• Excellent C programming skills and exposure to assembly language; hands-on low-level firmware programming (boot flows, bootloaders, interrupt handling, memory maps, clocks, power states).
• Driver development experience: SPI, I2C, UART and RF interface drivers; register-level programming and familiarity with SoC hardware IP datasheets.
• Hands-on RTOS knowledge and experience using RTOS concepts in firmware.
• Experience with PCRM, platform configuration, reset/clock/power management, and low-level initialization flows.
• Experience supporting tapeout and bring-up activities, including pre-silicon validation (RTL), FPGA/emulation, and post-silicon debug and issue triage with hardware teams.
• Experience with embedded IDEs and debuggers (examples: LPCXpresso, Keil, Eclipse, TRAC32, J-LINK, LPC-LINK) and with change/configuration/bug-tracking tools.
• Practical experience owning modules through design, integration, and silicon bring-up; strong debugging and problem-solving abilities.

Optional / Nice-to-have

• Exposure to C++, C#, Perl, or Python.
• Familiarity with NFC technology and smart-card/contactless proximity standards (ISO14443, ISO15693, ISO18092, ISO7816).
• Knowledge of embedded SDLC and tapeout milestones, debug instrumentation, and hardware-software readiness criteria.
• Willingness to travel internationally as needed.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Electronics & Communication or Power Electronics (from a reputed institute). No explicit alternative "equivalent experience" statement provided in the posting.

About the Company

Company: NXP Semiconductors

Headquarters: Nijmegen, Netherlands

NXP Semiconductors N.V. is a global semiconductor company that provides High Performance Mixed Signal and Standard Product solutions. With over 45,000 employees and operations in more than 35 countries, NXP is a leader in secure connectivity solutions for embedded applications, catering to automotive, industrial IoT, mobile, and communication infrastructure markets. The company is committed to innovation and sustainability, advancing a smarter, safer, and more sustainable world through technology.