Senior Optical Transceiver Firmware Engineer (Santa Clara)

Company Description

Arista Networks is an industry leader in data-driven, client-to-cloud networking for large data center, campus and routing environments. What sets us apart is our relentless pursuit of innovation. We leverage the latest advancements in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and software-defined networking to provide our clients with a competitive edge in an increasingly interconnected world. Our solutions are designed to not only meet the current demands of the digital landscape but to also anticipate and adapt to future challenges.

At Arista we value the diversity of thought and perspectives that each employee brings to the table. We believe that fostering an inclusive environment, where individuals from various backgrounds and experiences feel welcome, is essential for driving creativity and innovation.

Our commitment to excellence has earned us several prestigious awards, such as Best Engineering Team, Best Company for Diversity, Compensation, and Work-Life Balance. At Arista, we take pride in our track record of success and strive to maintain the highest standards of quality and performance in everything we do.

Job Description

Who Youll Work With
You will collaborate closely with hardware architects, optical and electrical engineers, and system software teams to define and implement module behavior that meets demanding performance, power, and reliability targets.

What Youll Do

Arista Networks is seeking a highly motivated and skilled Senior Optical Transceiver Firmware Engineer to develop embedded software and firmware for next-generation optical modules and engines operating at 1.6Tbps and beyond. This engineer will play a key role in enabling the performance, manageability, and integration of advanced optical transceivers that power Aristas high-speed networking products. In this role, you will be responsible for developing low-level firmware for optical modules, including control, monitoring, diagnostics, and communication protocols (such as CMIS, I2C, MDIO).

• Design, develop, and debug embedded firmware for optical transceiver modules (e.g., OSFP, QSFP-DD, OSFP).
• Implement firmware features to support CMIS, I2C/MDIO communication, module control, diagnostics, and alarms.
• Define firmware architecture and requirements in collaboration with optical hardware, electrical, and system teams.
• Develop and maintain automation tools for testing and validating firmware functionality and compliance.
• Collaborate with manufacturing and operations teams to support production testing, module calibration, and field upgrades.
• Ensure firmware meets reliability, security, and power efficiency targets.
• Participate in code reviews, documentation, and design discussions.
• Stay current with industry standards (CMIS, MSA, IEEE) and contribute to internal adoption of new features.

Qualifications

• Bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience in embedded firmware/software development, with a focus on hardware-level control systems.
• Strong proficiency in C/C++ programming for embedded systems.
• Experience working with optical transceivers or related modules (e.g., QSFP, OSFP, OSFP).
• In-depth knowledge of communication protocols such as I2C, MDIO, SPI, and experience working with CMIS/PMBus.
• Familiarity with optical module diagnostics, alarms, monitoring, and calibration routines.
• Strong debugging skills using tools such as logic analyzers, bus analyzers, and oscilloscopes.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Compensation Information

The new hire base pay for this role has a salary range of $140,000 to $198,000.Arista offers different pay ranges based on work location, so that we can offer consistent and competitive pay appropriate to the market. The actual base pay offered will be based on a wide range of factors, including skills, qualifications, relevant experience, and work location. The pay range provided reflects base pay only and in addition certain roles may also be eligible for discretionary Arista bonuses and equity. Employees in Sales roles are eligible to participate in Aristas Sales Incentive Plan, which pays commissions calculated as a percentage of eligible sales. US-based employees are also entitled to benefits including medical, dental, vision, wellbeing, tax savings and income protection. The recruiting team can share more details during the hiring process specific to the role and location.

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Additional Information

Arista Networks is an equal opportunity employer. Arista makes all hiring and employment-related decisions in a non-discriminatory manner without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin or any other factor determined to be unlawful under applicable federal, state, or law law. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

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