Principal Firmware Engineer - Optical Solutions

Molex is seeking a highly skilled Principal Firmware Engineer to join our Optical Systems Business Unit. In this role, you will be leading firmware engineering development of next generation optical transceivers for datacenter and telecom markets. The ideal candidate will have an excellent understanding of firmware design, development and verification methodologies for optical communication products. You will collaborate with Product Management, Hardware, Operations, and Field Application Engineering Teams to drive the development of transceiver products.

This role requires both domestic and international travel.

Molex possesses a rich heritage in the optical industry. We provide the highest performing and field‑proven wavelength management solutions from components, modules to integrated line‑cards. Continuous innovation in passive component function integration, miniaturization, and manufacturing automation, cutting‑edge WSS and amplification technology and comprehensive optical, mechanical, electrical and software design capabilities enable us to serve the needs of high‑density, high‑bandwidth, and flexible optical networks of telecom, datacom, hyperscale datacenter and supercomputing.

• Design, develop and verify CMIS‑compliant firmware for optical transceivers
• Design, implement and calibrate control loops for electro‑optical components
• Port, integrate and test DSP chip driver software on target platforms
• Design and develop firmware and GUI‑based tools for evaluation boards (EVBs) to streamline debugging, lab testing and performance validation
• Ensure product performance, reliability and quality through critical code reviews, test design, and analysis
• Enhance and maintain firmware codebase, ensuring comprehensive documentation, robust version control, and upgrade management
• Support New Product Introduction (NPI) and Application Engineering teams in bringing products to the market
• Troubleshoot and resolve operational and customer issues by analyzing the use cases, reproducing the issues in lab and implementing solutions
• Lead distributed design and development teams across multiple time zones

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering or related fields
• 7+ years of experience in firmware design and development for communication or related products
• Proficiency in C/C++ and Python Programming
• Experience with bare‑metal and RTOS based firmware development and optimization
• Strong understanding of bus protocols like I2C, I3C, SPI, PCIe, and MDIO
• Hands‑on experience with lab equipment such as oscilloscope, signal generator, OSA, and VOA.
• Knowledge of PID control loops involving DAC, ADC, TEC and PIC
• Experience with Git version control, CI/CD Pipelines and optical technologies is a plus

For this role, we anticipate paying $150,000 - $180,000 per year. This role is eligible for variable pay, issued as a monetary bonus or in another form.

At Koch companies, we are entrepreneurs. This means we openly challenge the status quo, find new ways to create value and get rewarded for our individual contributions. Any compensation range provided for a role is an estimate determined by available market data. The actual amount may be higher or lower than the range provided considering each candidate's knowledge, skills, abilities, and geographic location.

If you have questions, please speak to your recruiter about the flexibility and detail of our compensation philosophy.

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