Senior Principal HW/SW Co-Design Lead

Job Title

Senior Principal HW/SW Co-Design Lead

Role Summary

Technical leader based in Catania responsible for bridging hardware and software for MCU/MPU products. Drive development of low-level firmware (device drivers), ensure early verification across simulation, emulation and silicon, and enable consistent SDK integration.

Work closely with HW architects, SOC designers, central software teams, verification and validation groups to deliver reusable, high-quality drivers and firmware across product lifecycles.

Experience Level

Senior-level. Minimum of 15 years of experience in architecture and/or firmware development for MCUs/MPUs.

Responsibilities

Drive HW–SW co-design and deliver production-ready low-level firmware and driver solutions.

• Lead development of IP firmware/device drivers for MCU platforms with emphasis on quality and reusability.
• Define software architecture methodologies, standards, and reusable low-level APIs across programs.
• Architect firmware solutions supporting RTL verification, virtual simulation, SoC verification, post-silicon validation, and SDK integration.
• Coordinate with pre‑silicon and post‑silicon teams to align HAL/SDK development with IP interfaces.
• Initiate firmware development in parallel with hardware design; review hardware register definitions and own gap closure.
• Ensure backward-compatible software interfaces as hardware IP evolves and maintain linkage with central SW teams.
• Establish best practices for delivering enablement drivers alongside hardware IP; support simulation, emulation and silicon environments.
• Champion quality through design/code reviews, static analysis, and coding standards; produce technical documentation and reports.
• Use Git, JIRA and Confluence for project execution, and mentor junior/mid-level engineers.

Requirements

Must-have technical skills, experience, and behaviors required to perform the role.

• Minimum 15 years working on MCU/MPU firmware, driver design, RTL bring-up, and platform integration.
• Experience with RTL simulation and emulation and familiarity with SOC design and HW/SW verification environments.
• Deep expertise in MCU/MPU software architecture and low-level firmware development; platform-level integration experience.
• Proficiency with ARM processor subsystems, related tools and debugging methodologies.
• Experience with embedded RTOS, compilers, and low-level testing/debugging for MCUs/MPUs.
• Proficient in C/C++/Assembly and at least one scripting language; strong analytical and debugging skills.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams, influence technical direction, and work across multiple sites/time zones.
• Familiarity with development workflows and tools (Git, JIRA, Confluence); strong communication and mentoring skills.
• Experience leveraging AI capabilities to accelerate software development and documentation (preferred).
• Prior technical leadership driving projects and influencing direction is highly desirable.

Education Requirements

Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Electronics Engineering, or a related technical field (specified 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.