Staff Software Engineer - PHY layer concepts and validation workflows

Job Title

Staff Software Engineer - PHY layer concepts and validation workflows

Role Summary

Join Marvell Central Engineering's Central System Engineering (CSE) team as part of the Central IP applications group. The role focuses on designing and implementing a scalable, automated PHY validation framework to validate high-speed SerDes and other PHY IPs in lab environments and support SoC production.

Primary responsibilities include developing test infrastructure and automation, integrating instruments and DUTs, establishing CI/CD for validation, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to improve test coverage and maintainability.

Experience Level

Senior (staff-level)

Responsibilities

The engineer will deliver and maintain an end-to-end PHY validation framework and related tools. Key responsibilities include:

• Design and implement a modular, scalable PHY validation framework focused on automation and repeatability.
• Collaborate with hardware, firmware, validation, and test engineering teams to define validation goals and interface requirements.
• Develop test infrastructure, automation tools, and test flows to enable reliable validation workflows.
• Integrate DUTs, measurement instruments, data acquisition systems, and test control platforms into the framework.
• Establish and maintain CI/CD pipelines for continuous integration, automated testing, and validation reporting.
• Monitor system performance and test coverage; optimize runtime efficiency and failure diagnostics.
• Document framework architecture, test flows, and onboarding materials for other engineers.
• Maintain framework quality through version control, issue tracking, modular code practices, and code reviews.
• Mentor junior engineers and help define best practices in software engineering and validation methodology.

Requirements

Core technical skills and experience required. (Education and degree-related experience are summarized separately in Education Requirements.)

Must-have:

• Proficiency in at least one modern programming language (Python, C++, C#, or similar) and strong software design principles including test-driven development.
• Experience designing and implementing automation frameworks or validation infrastructure.
• Familiarity with PHY layer concepts (SERDES, USB, PCIe, Ethernet) and validation workflows.
• Experience with version control (Git), CI/CD workflows, and issue tracking systems (e.g., Jira).
• Hands-on experience with test equipment (oscilloscopes, BERTs, logic analyzers) and integrating instruments via APIs (SCPI, VISA, gRPC).
• Strong debugging, problem-solving, and analytical skills for hardware-software interaction environments.
• Effective communication and ability to work collaboratively across cross-functional teams.

Nice-to-have / Preferred:

• Experience developing test automation systems in hardware validation or lab automation environments.
• Familiarity with data analysis tools (Pandas, NumPy, MATLAB) and processing large test datasets.
• Experience with hardware bring-up, signal integrity, or post-silicon validation processes.
• Contributions to coding standards, automation best practices, or system design documentation.

Education Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field with 5+ years of software engineering experience, or a Master's degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field with 3+ years of software engineering experience.

About the Company

Company: Marvell Technology

Headquarters: Santa Clara, California, United States

Marvell’s semiconductor solutions serve as essential building blocks of the data infrastructure connecting our world, driving innovation across enterprise, cloud, AI, and carrier architectures. The company focuses on creating transformative technology that shapes the future.