Principal Firmware Engineer

Are you looking for a unique opportunity to be a part of something great? Want to join a 17,000-member team that works on the technology that powers the world around us? Looking for an atmosphere of trust, empowerment, respect, diversity, and communication? How about an opportunity to own a piece of a multi-billion dollar (with a B) global organization? We offer all that and more at Microchip Technology Inc.

People come to work at Microchip because we help design the technology that runs the world. They stay because our culture supports their growth and stability. They are challenged and driven by an incredible array of products and solutions with unlimited career potential. Microchip's nationally-recognized Leadership Passage Programs support career growth where we proudly enroll over a thousand people annually. We take pride in our commitment to employee development, values-based decision making, and strong sense of community, driven by our Vision, Mission, and 11 Guiding Values; we affectionately refer to it as the Aggregate System and it's won us countless awards for diversity and workplace excellence.

Our company is built by dedicated team players who love to challenge the status quo; we did not achieve record revenue and over 30 years of quarterly profitability without a great team dedicated to empowering innovation. People like you.

Visit our careers page to see what exciting opportunities and company perks await

Job Description:

About the Team

Microchip's Data Center Solutions (DCS) Business Unit builds the technology that powers the world's most demanding cloud and enterprise environments. Our Storage Controllers, Memory Controllers, NVMe SSD Controllers, PCIe Switches, and SAS Expanders are trusted across hyperscale data centers, cloud platforms, and storage networks for their performance, reliability, and security.

The Opportunity

As a DCS Firmware Engineer, you'll be part of a highly skilled team developing real-time firmware for next‑generation System‑on‑Chip (SoC) products. You'll work hands‑on with cutting‑edge silicon, prototype platforms, and advanced debug ecosystems—including FPGAs, development boards, automation frameworks, protocol analyzers, and internal test equipment.

This role gives you the chance to:

• Shape firmware for brand‑new silicon devices
• Dive deep into industry‑defining technologies such as PCIe, DDR4/5, NVMe, SAS, SATA, CXL and NAND flash
• Collaborate closely with silicon design, validation, emulation, verification, and applications teams
• Influence product architecture and contribute to long‑term technical strategy
• Grow your career through internal mobility, mentorship, and exposure to multiple disciplines

If you thrive in environments where innovation meets rigorous engineering, you'll feel right at home.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, integrate, debug, and verify embedded firmware in C and Assembly
• Own firmware components from concept through product release and maintenance
• Program embedded MIPS processors to implement core firmware and software subsystems
• Participate in detailed design and code reviews
• Troubleshoot complex issues across hardware, firmware, and system layers
• Analyze and optimize firmware performance (cycle counts, cache utilization, frame rates)
• Produce clear, comprehensive engineering documentation

Requirements/Qualifications:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field
• 10+ years of firmware/software development experience in real‑time or embedded systems
• Strong understanding of firmware architecture, design patterns, and implementation
• Proven ability to design, implement, and document complex embedded systems
• Proficiency in C and assembly for embedded processors
• Experience with RTOS concepts: threads, scheduling, synchronization, memory management
• Familiarity with toolchains, debuggers, and embedded development workflows
• Strong communication skills and ability to collaborate across disciplines

Desirable Qualifications

• Experience with storage or high‑speed I/O protocols: PCIe, CXL, DDR4/5, NVMe, SAS, SATA, NAND flash, SCSI, Fibre Channel, RAID, enclosure management
• Background in SoC architecture, IP integration, or silicon bring‑up

Travel Time:

0% - 25%

Pay Range:

We offer a total compensation package that ranks among the best in the industry. It consists of competitive base pay, restricted stock units, and quarterly bonus payments. In addition to these components, our package includes health benefits that begin day one, retirement savings plans, and an industry leading IESPP program with a 6-month look back feature. Find more information about all our benefits at the link below:

Benefits of working at Microchip

The annual base salary range for this position is $86,000- $186,000.*

*Range is dependent on numerous factors including job location, skills and experience.

To all recruitment agencies: Microchip Technology Inc. does not accept unsolicited agency resumes. Please do not forward resumes to our recruiting team or other Microchip employees. Microchip is not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.

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