Semtech

Senior Embedded Firmware Design Engineer

Semtech$116K — $200K *
Consumer Technology
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 8-10 years of experience in embedded firmware for mixed-signal ICs
  • B.S. or M.S. in Electrical or Computer Engineering
  • Strong algorithms, data processing, and co-design experience
  • Expertise in MCU architectures (ARM, RISC-V, etc.)
  • Proficient in C/C++, assembly, and Python for scripting
  • Hands-on with standard hardware protocols (I2C, SPI, etc.)
  • Demonstrated technical leadership and innovation in projects

Responsibilities

  • Define and optimize embedded firmware for low-power mixed-signal circuits
  • Implement pre-silicon simulation validation and testing methodologies
  • Specify hardware-firmware architectures and evaluate system requirements
  • Support silicon lab evaluations and provide post-silicon customer support
  • Interface with cross-functional teams for integrated solutions
  • Mentor and supervise junior engineers in technical tasks
  • Provide technical support to application and product engineers

Benefits

  • Hybrid work model with 4 days in-office and Friday remote
  • Opportunities for technical leadership
  • Mentorship role to develop junior engineers
  • Access to cutting-edge AI-assisted development tools
  • Comprehensive post-silicon customer technical support programs
Full Job Description
Location: San Diego, CA - Hybrid: 4 days in office, Friday remote

Job Summary:

The Senior Embedded Firmware Design Engineer is responsible for designing, developing and validating a variety of firmware-based systems and functions. The role focuses on high-accuracy, low-power sensing platforms, including firmware for mixed-signal sensing SoCs with on-chip ADCs, proximity, touch and gesture recognition. Ahead of detailed design, the Senior Engineer, Embedded Firmware Design, will actively participate in the definition of the chip, systems, and blocks including interactions with application, system, digital hardware, analog, and cross functional teams.

The role also includes innovation & technical leadership, mentoring and supervision of junior engineers, pre-silicon and post-silicon validations or their supervision, support to application and production test engineers, and definition of test methodology.

Responsibilities:
  • Define, develop, verify and optimize embedded firmware for low-power mixed-signal circuits. Design embedded firmware functions, sub and full systems, from specification definition to support to production. Develop and deploy rule-based and ML-based inference firmware, leveraging AI-assisted development tools and workflows. Implement testability and diagnosis features to support hardware testing. Generate technical documentation and drive design reviews.
  • Define and implement pre-silicon simulation validation, unit and regression testing, debug, emulation, and FPGA prototyping. Support top verification.
  • Specify and implement system-level and hardware-firmware architectures, from top-level specification analysis to system and firmware optimization. Evaluate and specify CPU/micro-controller selection and ROM/RAM memory sizing based on system requirements and constraints.
  • Support silicon lab evaluation, performance characterization and debug. Provide comprehensive post-silicon customer technical support, RMA analysis and field issue resolution.
  • Interface with system, digital hardware, analog, verification and cross functional teams.
  • Mentor and supervise junior engineers.
  • Technical support to test, product and application engineers.


Minimum Qualifications:
  • 8-10 years of industry experience in embedded firmware for mixed-signal integrated circuits
  • B.S. or M.S. in Electrical or Computer Engineering
  • Strong analytical, synthesis and problem solving skills
  • In-depth knowledge and experience in firmware development for mixed-signal ICs, HW-SW architectures and co-design, real-time embedded systems, data path, signal processing & algorithms, system trade-offs (power, speed, hardware resources, memory footprint)
  • Strong background with MCU based systems (ARM, RISC-V, PIC, STM32), architecture, and instruction set
  • Proficiency in C/C++ and assembly language programming, scripting languages (Python), debugging capabilities, industry leading embedded software suites (IDE), AI coding tools (e.g. Cursor, Claude, GitHub Copilot), and evaluation/validation of AI-generated code
  • Experience with bare-metal firmware development.
  • Design for test experience including implementation of testability and diagnostic features.
  • Experience with configurations, version control, release management, integration, unit and regression testing
  • Demonstration of technical leadership and innovation
  • Experience with standard hardware protocols (I2C, I3C, SPI, MIPI, JTAG, PCIe)
  • Hands-on experience with development boards, FPGAs, logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, supplies, multimeters and the associated measurement methods
  • Independent, self-motivated, rigorous, innovating, team player and able to follow through
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • Knowledge of system-level aspects: signal processing, mixed-signal, digital hardware, analog, modelling, test and application


Desired Qualifications
  • Experience with system/digital design methods & tools, Matlab, SV/Verilog/VHDL etc.
  • Experience with consumer, industrial, or automotive market circuit developments


The intent of this job description is to describe the major duties and responsibilities performed by incumbents of this job. Incumbents may be required to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically included in this description.

A reasonable estimate of the pay range for this position is $116K - $200K. There are several factors taken into consideration in determining base salary, including but not limited to: job-related qualifications, skills, education and experience, as well as job location and the value of other elements of an employee's total compensation package.

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About Semtech

Semtech Corporation is a leading supplier of high-performance analog and mixed-signal semiconductors and advanced algorithms. The company is dedicated to providing proprietary solutions and breakthrough technology for circuit protection (TVS), high-reliability power management, and advanced communications technologies. Semtech's products are used in some of the most innovative systems and products in the fastest-growing markets in technology today, including the Internet of Things (IoT), data centers, and mobility. Semtech is publicly traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol SMTC.
Learn more about Semtech
Size
1,439 employees
Market Cap
$1.7 billion
Industry
Net Income
$39.8 million
Founded
1960
5 Year Trend
+6.4%
Revenue
$568.4 million
NASDAQ

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