SerDes PHY FW​/SW Engineer​/Senior​/Principal Levels

Position: SerDes PHY FW/SW Engineer - Staff/Senior Staff/Principal Levels
Alphawave Semi enables tomorrow’s future by accelerating the critical data communication at the heart of our digital world – from seamless video streaming to AI to the metaverse and much more. Our technology powers product innovation in the most data-demanding industries today, including data centers, networking, storage, artificial intelligence, 5G wireless infrastructure, and autonomous vehicles. Customers partner with us for mission-critical data communication, our innovative technologies, and our proven track record.

Together, we enable the next generation of digital technology.

The
** Embedded Software / Firmware Team at Alphawave Semi
** develops critical embedded software that powers high-performance multi-standard Serializer/Deserializer (Ser Des) PHY IP used in next-generation data center, AI/ML, automotive, and compute applications. Our Ser Des IPs support standards such as PCIe, Ethernet, CXL, and are integrated into SoCs and ASICs built by leading semiconductor companies around the world.

The firmware team owns the full embedded software stack that controls the Ser Des hardware, including low-level embedded firmware, customer-facing C SDKs, demo & automation scripts, and interactive tools. As a key enabler of silicon bring-up, validation, and production deployment, we work closely with hardware, systems, DV, validation, and application teams across the product lifecycle—from early development to high-volume manufacturing.##
** What You Can Expect
**** What You'll Do
**** Example Problems You’ll Solve
*** Mentoring a junior engineer through a hard-to-reproduce PHY calibration bug seen in customer silicon
* Developing architecture and state machines to handle multi-lane synchronization or adaptive equalization across dynamic conditions
* Porting a high-level MATLAB or Python Ser Des calibration algorithm to optimized fixed-point firmware
* Creating a Ser Des diagnostics framework accessible via both SDK and GUI
* Using simulation environments and FPGA emulation to validate FW behavior before tapeout
* Working with IP hardware architects to influence future revisions based on field debug learnings##
** What You'll Need**###
*
* Preferred Experience:

*** Knowledge of Ser Des, 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
* Scripting in Python, Bash, etc. for lab automation and testing
* Familiarity with digital design concepts (Verilog/System Verilog), simulation, and DV flows
* Exposure to the OSI model, especially physical and data link layers
* Understanding of signal processing concepts such as eye diagrams, jitter, BER, SNR, CTLE/DFE/FFE, etc.
** We have a flexible work environment to support and help employees thrive in personal and professional capacities.
**** You’ll also be eligible for competitive benefits described as per below:
**** Health & Wellness
** Our programs emphasize knowledge and prevention, helping you stay proactive and prepared to manage your health at every stage.
* Comprehensive health plan
* Health Spending Account (HSA)
* Wellness Spending Account (WSA)
* Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
** Time Off
** We value the importance of rest and recharge, which is why we offer flexible time off options to support your well-being.
* Paid Vacation
* Paid Holidays
* Parental Leave Top-Up Program
** Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
** Alphawave Semi is an equal opportunity employer, welcoming all applicants regardless of age, gender, race, disability, or other protected characteristics. We value diversity and provide accommodations during the recruitment process.
** The Opportunity
** We're looking for the Wavemakers of tomorrow.
* Core responsibilities for the firmware team include:
* Embedded firmware running on RISC-V-based controllers that manage Alphawave’s advanced Ser Des datapaths
* C SDKs provided to customers for Ser Des bring-up, calibration, tuning, and diagnostics
* Python-based lab tools and GUIs…