Principal Engineer, Firmware Engineering

Company Description Sandisk understands how people and businesses consume data and we relentlessly innovate to deliver solutions that enable today s needs and tomorrow s next big ideas With a rich history of groundbreaking innovations in Flash and advanced memory technologies our solutions have become the beating heart of the digital world we re living in and that we have the power to shape Sandisk meets people and businesses at the intersection of their aspirations and the moment enabling them to keep moving and pushing possibility forward We do this through the balance of our powerhouse manufacturing capabilities and our industry-leading portfolio of products that are recognized globally for innovation performance and quality Sandisk has two facilities recognized by the World Economic Forum as part of the Global Lighthouse Network for advanced 4IR innovations These facilities were also recognized as Sustainability Lighthouses for breakthroughs in efficient operations With our global reach we ensure the global supply chain has access to the Flash memory it needs to keep our world moving forward We re looking for a highly accomplished and visionary Principal Engineer to lead the development of our NPU firmware runtime for the Next Gen Computational Flash Controller project You ll be the technical owner of the device-side software stack that orchestrates all NPU operations This is a rare opportunity to define the architecture of a high-performance compute platform from kernel scheduling to data orchestration at the deepest levels of the system Key Responsibilities Architectural Leadership Serve as the technical lead for the entire NPU firmware runtime You ll define the architecture for the communication and control plane that interacts with the host-side software stack via the PCIe driver Kernel Orchestration Design and implement the firmware for loading scheduling and executing kernels on the NPU You will optimize the entire workflow from host command receipt to kernel launch ensuring minimal latency and maximum throughput Data Flow and DMA Engine Architect the firmware responsible for managing high-bandwidth data flow This includes interfacing with the SRAM to stage data and orchestrating the DMA engine to move data efficiently between the host DRAM and High-Bandwidth Flash HBF Performance Tuning Profile analyze and optimize the end-to-end performance of the NPU runtime You ll identify bottlenecks at the firmware hardware and driver layers and propose innovative solutions Cross-Functional Collaboration Work closely with the host-side software teams PyTorch hardware design teams and silicon engineers to define APIs debug complex issues and ensure a seamless high-performance solution Mentorship Act as a mentor and technical guide to other firmware and software engineers fostering a culture of technical excellence and innovation Qualifications Experience 7 years of hands-on experience in low-level firmware or system software development Architectural Acumen Proven experience in defining the architecture of complex embedded or device-side systems Technical Expertise Mastery of C C with a focus on writing high-performance concurrent and real-time code Deep understanding of system architecture including PCIe memory management and DMA engines Experience with hardware bring-up embedded processors and on-chip peripherals Knowledge of deep learning frameworks e g PyTorch and the underlying computation graphs Leadership Skills Demonstrated ability to lead complex technical projects and influence a diverse group of stakeholders without direct authority Problem-Solving Exceptional debugging and analytical skills with a track record of solving the most challenging system-level problems Education Bachelor s or Master s degree in Computer Science Electrical Engineering or a related field Additional Information Sandisk thrives on the power and potential of diversity As a global company we believe the most effective way to embrace the diversity of our customers and communities is to mirror it from within We believe the fusion of various perspectives results in the best outcomes for our employees our company our customers and the world around us We are committed to an inclusive environment where every individual can thrive through a sense of belonging respect and contribution Sandisk is committed to offering opportunities to applicants with disabilities and ensuring all candidates can successfully navigate our careers website and our hiring process Please contact us at to advise us of your accommodation request In your email please include a description of the specific accommodation you are requesting as well as the job title and requisition number of the position for which you are applying