Senior SSD Firmware Architect

Description

The company is building next-generation solid state drive (SSD) solutions within its Non-volatile Memory Solutions Group and is hiring firmware and embedded software engineers to grow the team.

You will build new, advanced firmware for solid state drives, working with embedded architecture, external interfaces, and product constraints to deliver new value on the platform.

You will gain hands-on work with storage interface standards including SATA, SAS, PCIe, and NVMe, and take part in algorithm modeling, benchmarking, and putting algorithms into firmware.

The team works in Agile, so you need strong communication skills and the ability to work closely with colleagues locally and across the organization.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership across domains at the system and product level.
• Define architectural requirements for new customer feature requests.
• Scope high-level architecture initiatives and assess features.
• Lead, write, review, and document C/C++ product source code.
• Analyze, design, and build firmware against internal and customer specifications.
• Run unit and system tests, and investigate failures and debug product issues during development and validation.
• Build low-level firmware, system and device architectures, and operating systems with hardware and ASIC design teams.
• Work across several firmware disciplines to grow your knowledge of the full SSD architecture.
• Translate product requirements into development and validation plans with project stakeholders.
• Take part in and model an Agile/Kanban culture that values product quality, team accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Align priorities and work with other engineering stakeholders to hit committed milestones.

Requirements

• Show you can listen, understand, and reply professionally to partner questions and problems while earning trust.
• Communicate well in writing and when presenting.
• Start work on your own and manage several tasks effectively, with strong influence and leadership skills.
• Hold a bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Have 10+ years of experience, including embedded software or firmware development in C/C++.
• Have 8+ years in SSD firmware architecture or NAND flash storage systems.
• Have led firmware architecture across cross-functional teams including ASIC, hardware, firmware, validation, product engineering, and manufacturing.
• Have deep knowledge of SSD firmware areas such as FTL, QoS, wear leveling, garbage collection, bad block management, ECC and error recovery, power-loss protection, and NAND flash management.
• Have a record of technical leadership across development, validation, and manufacturing teams.
• Plus factors: experience making architecture trade-offs across performance, reliability, power, cost, and scalability.
• Plus factors: expertise in enterprise storage interfaces and protocols such as PCIe, NVMe, and NVMe-MI.
• Plus factors: experience with SSD security technologies such as TCG Opal, IEEE 1667, ESSC, AES, Secure Boot, and firmware authentication.
• Plus factors: experience working with controller ASIC and hardware architecture teams to shape next-generation product features.
• Plus factors: experience building firmware technology roadmaps and assessing emerging storage technologies such as QLC/PLC NAND, Zoned Namespaces, Computational Storage, CXL, and NVMe over Fabrics.
• Plus factors: experience setting firmware architecture, coding standards, development processes, and technical direction across several engineering teams.
• Plus factors: strong knowledge of the software development lifecycle, CI/CD, automated validation, and release management for embedded firmware.
• Plus factors: experience working directly with strategic customers to turn product requirements into architectural solutions.
• Plus factors: experience mentoring senior engineers and acting as a technical authority across the organization.

Conditions

This is a hybrid role based in Rancho Cordova, CA or Longmont, CO.

Pay ranges from $153,760 to $246,100, depending on factors such as skills, experience, qualifications, and location.

The company is an equal opportunity employer.

Benefits

• Eligible for restricted stock units (RSUs), restricted cash units (RCUs), and cash bonus programs.
• Benefits include medical, dental, and vision coverage, supplemental life and AD&D insurance, short- and long-term disability, healthcare and dependent care flexible spending accounts, and a company match on eligible 401(k) contributions.