Principal Firmware Engineer

Description

Design, development, and optimization of advanced OFDM-based digital and analog radio communication systems. This role combines deep hands-on algorithm development with system-level debugging, performance optimization, and long-term technical leadership.

The position also includes responsibility for building and leading a future DSP engineering team in India, defining scalable development practices, and ensuring efficient, high-performance implementations suitable for embedded and real-time platforms.

Responsibilities

DSP Algorithm Development

• Design, implement, and optimize DSP algorithms for OFDM-based modems.
• Develop algorithms for:
• Modulation and demodulation
• Time and frequency synchronization
• Channel estimation and equalization
• FFT/IFFT processing
• Error detection and correction
• Improve algorithm robustness and performance under real-world RF impairments.

System Design, Debugging & Optimization

• Translate communication system requirements into production-quality DSP software.
• Debug complex system-level issues across DSP, firmware, RF, and hardware boundaries.
• Analyze lab and field data to identify root causes of performance, stability, and interoperability issues.
• Support product bring-up, validation, and long-term maintenance of deployed systems.

MIPS & Memory Optimization

• Drive code-level optimization for MIPS efficiency and memory footprint on embedded targets.
• Optimize algorithms for:
• CPU throughput and real-time constraints
• Cache efficiency and memory access patterns
• Fixed-point arithmetic and reduced precision implementations
• Balance performance, memory usage, power consumption, and algorithm accuracy.
• Guide architectural trade-offs between computational complexity and system-level performance.

OFDM Modem Architecture

• Lead architecture decisions for OFDM-based communication systems.
• Evaluate and optimize system-level trade-offs involving bandwidth, latency, spectral efficiency, and robustness.
• Ensure algorithm designs scale efficiently across multiple platform variants.

Technical Leadership & Team Development

• Act as the technical authority for DSP and communication systems.
• Establish and technically lead a DSP engineering team in India, including:
• Mentoring engineers on algorithms, optimization techniques, and debugging methodologies
• Defining coding standards, performance guidelines, and development workflows
• Providing technical oversight and design reviews
• Collaborate closely with RF, hardware, firmware, and systems engineering teams.

Required Experience and Skills

• M.S. or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Signal Processing, Communications, or a related field.
• 10+ years of experience in DSP and communication system development.
• Deep expertise in OFDM-based modem design, including synchronization, channel estimation, equalization, and decoding.
• Strong background in digital and analog communication theory.
• Demonstrated experience in code optimization for MIPS and memory-constrained embedded systems.
• Proficiency with MATLAB, Python, and experience transitioning algorithms into embedded or real-time implementations.
• Proven ability to debug complex, cross-domain issues in commercial products.
• Strong communication skills and experience working with or leading geographically distributed teams.

#LI-CB1

Desired Experience and Skills

• Experience with fixed-point DSP implementations and real-time operating constraints.
• Embedded software experience on CPUs, DSPs, or SoCs.
• Hands-on experience using RF lab equipment (signal generators, spectrum analyzers, SDRs).
• Prior experience mentoring or leading offshore or distributed engineering teams.
• End-to-end product development experience from concept through production.