Senior Network Software Engineer

About this opportunity

Zhone Technologies Inc. is an innovation-driven startup offering an exciting opportunity to be part of a dynamic network software engineering team. As a Senior Network Software Engineer , you will play a key role in designing and implementing hardware abstraction layers (HAL), embedded platform support, and Linux kernel integrations for next-generation network systems. You will also work on integrating with various ASIC SDKs and emerging platforms such as SONiC , ensuring seamless hardware-software interaction across evolving hardware platforms.

You will report directly to the Director of Software Development and collaborate with both the platform and system architecture teams.

What You’ll Do

• Participate in high-level system and platform architecture design
• Develop and adapt HAL for new hardware platforms and switching ASICs
• Lead and mentor junior engineers and conduct code reviews
• Integrate platform software with ASIC SDKs (e.g., Broadcom, Marvell, Microchip)
• Support and enhance SONiC hardware interface components (e.g., SAI, platform drivers)
• Troubleshoot hardware-software interaction issues across PHY, MAC, I/O, and bus layers
• Debug low-level software problems using JTAG, trace logs, and hardware tools
• Perform unit, integration, and system validation for the platform and HAL components
• Optimize system performance at the kernel and hardware abstraction layer
• Write and maintain device drivers and board support packages (BSP)
• Provide support throughout product verification and production release cycles

Requirements

• A bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field
• 7+ years of experience in embedded network software development
• Proven experience in HAL design and platform software development
• Strong understanding of Broadcom or other switching ASICs
• Proficiency with Linux protocol stack and kernel internals
• Strong debugging and problem-solving skills in embedded environments
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• High ownership,self-motivation, and a continuous learning mindset

Assets You May Possess

• Hardware Abstraction Layer (HAL) & Device Driver Development
  • Solid understanding of HAL architecture, platform abstraction principles
  • Hands-on development of Embedded Linux kernel drivers:
    • I2C, SPI, GPIO, EEPROM, thermal sensors, LEDs
    • MAC/PHY, SFP/QSFP, MDIO, PCIe, memory-mapped interfaces
  • Ability to debug or build platform drivers from the ground up
• ASIC SDK & Switching Chipset Integration
  • Hands-on experience integrating with ASIC SDKs , such as:
    • Broadcom SDK
    • Marvell Prestera SDK
    • Microchip/Vitesse VSC SDK
  • Experience with initialization flows, VLAN, FDB, port management, and hardware-specific tuning
  • Familiarity with API models and abstraction layers
• SONiC & SAI (Switch Abstraction Interface).
  • Practical experience with SONiC’s platform infrastructure (containerized, modular)
  • Knowledge of SAI API and integration with switching SDKs
  • Familiarity with SONiC hardware config: platform.json, hwsku, platform-modules, etc.
  • Understanding of CONFIG_DB, APP_DB, and STATE_DB
• Hardware Bring-up & Platform Integration.
  • Experience with bootloaders (e.g., U-Boot), device trees, board diagnostics
  • Peripheral and chassis integration: EEPROM, PSU/FAN, CPLD, LEDs
  • Low-speed peripheral bring-up: I2C, SPI, GPIO, MDIO
• Hardware-Software Interaction, Debugging & Optimization.
  • Strong skills in analyzing issues such as:
    • Link up/down, PHY init, SerDes tuning
    • IRQ, DMA, and register-level analysis
  • Familiarity with JTAG, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, or vendor tools
• Validation & Automation.
  • Experience developing and executing unit, integration, and system tests
  • Test automation using Python, Bash, or TCL/Expect
• Tools, Languages & Build Systems
  • programming languages: C , C++ , Python , Shell scripting
  • Kernel development tools: gdb, strace, dmesg, perf, valgrind, ftrace
  • Cross-compilation and build environments: Buildroot , Yocto , Makefile , Kconfig
• Preferred / Nice to Have
  • Experience porting SONiC to new hardware platforms
  • Direct collaboration with ASIC vendors for debugging or platform enablement
  • Familiarity with diagnostics environments such as ONIE, Redfish, or U-Boot scripting
  • Open-source contributions to kernel, platform drivers, SAI, or SONiC
  • Understanding of SyncE, PTP, or time synchronization at the platform level