Principal Firmware Engineer

What You'll Be Doing

Responsibilities

• Firmware Architecture & Development: Architect, develop, and optimize high-performance firmware applications using C and modern C++ (C++11/14) in embedded Linux environments.
• Advanced Network & Packet Analysis: Lead deep packet inspection and network traffic analysis using Wireshark, tcpdump, and wireless sniffers to resolve connectivity dropouts, protocol anomalies, and latency issues.
• System Triage & Complex Debugging: Drive the diagnosis of critical system issues via shell terminals (SSH, serial), extract and analyze log bundles, investigate complex kernel/application-layer crashes, and isolate root causes.
• Wireless & Gateway Validation: Oversee the rigorous validation of end-to-end Wi-Fi performance across all bands (2.4GHz / 5GHz / 6GHz), ensuring stability for band/AP steering, mesh networking, and core router features (DHCP, NAT, Firewall, QoS, and Parental Controls).
• Defect Resolution & Reporting: Set the standard for engineering documentation, producing highly detailed bug reports with reproducible steps, system state observations, log files, and packet captures (.pcap).
• Test Automation & Tooling: Design and maintain robust Python and shell scripting frameworks to automate complex test cases, streamline log collection, and execute large-scale soak testing routines.

What We're Looking For

• Bachelor's degree or four or more years of work experience.
• Six or more years of relevant experience required, demonstrated through one or a combination of work and/or military experience, or specialized training.
• Willingness to travel up to 25% of the time.

Even Better If You Have

• Hands-on firmware or software development experience in networking and embedded systems, with deep, specialized expertise in Wi-Fi routers, gateways, or access points.
• Master-level expertise writing production-quality code in C and C++ (C++11/14).
• Deep command of Linux/Unix terminal environments, including advanced core commands, standard debugging tools, shell scripting, and system/memory process monitoring.
• Extensive, authoritative experience capturing and analyzing core network protocols (TCP/IP, UDP, DNS, DHCP, ARP, ICMP) using industry-standard tools.
• Comprehensive understanding of IEEE 802.11 standards (a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be), wireless security protocols (WPA2/WPA3), WPS, and the physical/MAC layer mechanisms behind common RF performance bottlenecks.
• Experience architecting, configuring, and deploying applications using Docker and containerized embedded development environments.
• Strong working knowledge of open-source router operating systems (OpenWrt, prplOS, RDK-B) or proprietary vendor-specific router SDKs (e.g., Qualcomm, Broadcom, MediaTek).
• Hands-on experience designing hardware test environments, including RF sniffers, chambers, and network traffic generators (e.g., Spirent, Ixia, or iPerf).

Where You'll Be Working

• In this hybrid role, you'll have a defined work location that includes working from home and a minimum of three days per week in the office, which will be set by your manager.
• Employees are responsible for maintaining compliance with hybrid work policies.

Scheduled Weekly Hours

• 40 hours per week.

Benefits and Compensation

• Benefits include medical, dental, vision, short and long term disability, basic life insurance, supplemental life insurance, AD&D insurance, identity theft protection, pet insurance, and group home & auto insurance.
• Verizon offers a matched 401(k) savings plan, up to 8 company paid holidays per year, up to 6 personal days per year, paid parental leave, adoption assistance, and tuition assistance.
• Newly hired employees receive up to 15 days of vacation per year, which grows with additional service.
• The salary will vary depending on location and confirmed job-related skills and experience; this is an incentive based position with the potential to earn more.