SSD Firmware & Software Lead/Architect (10-15+)

Company Description ChipSilica is a specialized technology company focused on PCIe and related high-speed interconnect protocols, including CXL, UALink, Ethernet, DDR and UCIe. The team supports customers in designing and developing switches, retimers, and SoCs that rely on advanced PCIe-based architectures. By combining deep protocol expertise with practical implementation experience, ChipSilica helps organizations build reliable, high-performance solutions. The company collaborates closely with clients to address complex design challenges and accelerate product development.Role: Lead / Architect – SSD Firmware & Software EngineeringExperience: 10–15+ years (relevant hands-on experience)Location: Bangalore, India

Employment Type: Full-timeRole Description We are looking for an experienced SSD Firmware & Software Architect to lead the complete firmware and software development of a next-generation SSD controller.The candidate will own the end-to-end software stack, covering device-side firmware, host-side drivers, low-level hardware interfaces, system software and software validation.The role involves close collaboration with our RTL Design, Design Verification, FPGA, Physical Design and DFT teams to develop and validate the SSD controller, starting from FPGA-based prototyping and progressing towards silicon bring-up and production.This is a hands-on technical leadership position.

The candidate will be responsible for defining the software architecture, establishing development methodologies and eventually building and leading the firmware and software engineering team.Key ResponsibilitiesSSD Controller Firmware Development: Architect, develop and lead device-side firmware for SSD controllers. Develop low-level firmware for controller initialization, hardware configuration, command processing and device management.Host-Side Software & Driver Development: Develop and integrate host-side software for SSD controller interfacing. Experience with PCIe-based host-controller communication and device enumeration. Develop, customize and debug Linux device drivers and kernel-level interfaces wherever required.Low-Level Software & Hardware Bring-up: Develop bare-metal firmware and/or RTOS-based embedded software.FPGA Prototyping & Validation: Lead firmware and software development for FPGA-based SSD controller prototypesSilicon Bring-up & Productization: Lead firmware bring-up on first silicon in collaboration with RTL, PD and DFT teams. Develop initial boot firmware and hardware initialization sequences. Debug silicon-level issues involving PCIe, NAND interfaces, memory controllers, DMA and other controller subsystems.Architecture & Technical Leadership: Define the complete SSD software architecture and technology roadmapRequired Technical SkillsStrong experience in embedded firmware development using C and C++.Strong understanding of computer architecture, microcontrollers, SoCs and hardware-software interfaces.Hands-on experience with bare-metal firmware and/or RTOS-based development.Strong understanding of PCIe and NVMe protocols.Experience with SSD controller firmware or storage subsystem development.Understanding of NAND Flash architecture and flash management techniques.Experience with Linux kernel, device drivers and storage subsystems.Strong understanding of DMA, interrupts, memory-mapped I/O and low-level peripheral interfaces.Experience in firmware debugging, hardware bring-up and system-level integration.Ability to work with RTL, DV and FPGA teams during hardware-software co-development.