Senior Firmware R&D Engineer

About the role

HyperLight is a company at the forefront of thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) integrated photonics, which enables high-performance optical components for AI/datacom, hyperscale computing, quantum computing and sensing. Its TFLN Chiplet platform is modular and scalable. The growing team is looking for a hands-on Firmware Engineer to develop and optimize firmware for optical transceiver reference designs, working closely with hardware, DSP and photonics teams to bring up and scale systems from early prototypes to production-ready platforms.

Key responsibilities

• Own firmware for optical transceiver reference designs built around TFLN modulators
• Design, develop and maintain embedded firmware for IMDD and Coherent optical transceivers
• Implement and optimize CMIS-compliant firmware stacks
• Develop drivers and communication stacks for I2C and I3C interfaces
• Interface with DSPs for signal processing, control, tuning and monitoring
• Support high-speed optical modules above 1.6Tbps
• Bring up hardware and debug issues
• Collaborate with hardware, optical and system teams
• Develop internal diagnostic and configuration tools (CLI/GUI)
• Ensure firmware reliability, performance and standards compliance
• Contribute to system architecture and next-generation platform development

Required profile

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering or a related field
• Strong experience in embedded firmware development (C/C++ and others)
• Hands-on experience with CMIS and I2C/I3C protocols
• Experience with QSFP, OSFP or similar form factor MSA specifications
• Experience with DSP-based systems
• Solid understanding of high-speed communication systems above 400Gbps
• Solid debugging skills in lab environments

Preferred qualifications

• Experience with TFLN, silicon photonics or other advanced modulator technologies
• Background in coherent detection or PAM4 systems
• Experience building reference designs
• Experience developing GUI tools (Python, etc.)
• Familiarity with MDIO, SPI or similar interfaces
• Experience with manufacturing test or automation

What we offer

• Competitive market-based compensation and benefits
• Professional growth and mentorship opportunities