Lead Embedded Firmware Engineer – Residential Gateways (prplOS & Wireless)

Embedded Firmware Engineer – Residential Gateways (prplOS & Wireless)Role Overview We are looking for a Lead Embedded Firmware Developer with 12+ years of experience to drive the architectural direction, optimization, and scaling of our next-generation Residential Gateway products. Our software architecture leverages prplOS, making our platform inherently SoC-independent across diverse silicon, including Broadcom and MaxLinear SoCs. In this role, you will serve as the technical authority for our embedded firmware and wireless stack. You will own the Linux wireless architecture, scaling our platform to support cutting-edge Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 capabilities, while ensuring carrier-grade stability through deep system-level profiling and optimization using tools like perf and Valgrind. Additionally, you will champion automation by using Python scripting to build robust testing and unit testing framework methodologies that ensure code quality across the entire lifecyle.

Responsibilities

• Lead the architectural design of resilient, hardware-agnostic gateway firmware, mentoring engineering teams and establishing embedded development best practices.
• Architect and implement automated testing and unit testing frameworks using Python to validate system components, APIs, and overall firmware reliability.
• Use perf, Valgrind (Memcheck, Massif, Helgrind), and kernel utilities to profile OS memory and CPU management, eliminate memory leaks, resolve race conditions, and minimize CPU bottlenecks.
• Design, configure, and optimize Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7 features using hostapd, wpa_supplicant, and iw sub-systems.
• Architect, develop, and maintain high-performance firmware in C and C++ across various gateway hardware platforms.
• Leverage prpl APIs to maintain hardware-agnostic implementations across multiple carrier-grade SoCs.
• Develop and maintain scalable services utilizing ubus and/or iMTP to ensure reliable internal bus communication.
• Design and troubleshoot robust Layer 2 and Layer 3 network stacks to ensure optimal routing, bridging, and packet forwarding.
• Implement and maintain device management and service models, including TR-181 data models and USP (User Services Platform / TR-369).
• Configure and manage containerized microservices and virtual execution environments using Docker and prpl LCM (Lifecycle Management).
• Manage source code, branching strategies, and firmware release pipelines using Git.
• Demonstrated experience deploying, isolating, and configuring containerized microservices using Docker and lifecycle tools like prpl LCM.

Requirements

• 10+ years of hands-on embedded firmware development experience in the telecom, networking, or residential gateway industries.
• High proficiency in C and modern C++ programming within resource-constrained embedded systems.
• Strong working knowledge of Embedded Linux development within OpenWrt or prplOS ecosystems.
• Deep, production-level expertise with broadband management standards, explicitly TR-181 data models and USP (TR-369).
• Deep knowledge of the Linux Wireless stack, including hostapd, wpa_supplicant, iw, and Linux wireless drivers.
• Deep understanding of Layer 2/3 networking and core routing/bridging concepts.
• Strong expertise managing source code and branching strategies via Git.
• Experience implementing, configuring, or debugging next-generation wireless features like Wi-Fi 6E and Wi-Fi 7.
• Deep familiarity with OpenWrt ubus and message bus architectures like iMTP.
• Hands-on experience developing abstraction layers on Broadcom or MaxLinear residential gateway SoCs.

Preferred

• Hands-on experience with Linux profiling and debugging tools, specifically perf and Valgrind.
• Proficiency in Python for creating automated test scripts, hardware validation, or test execution.
• Experience building or maintaining unit testing frameworks (e.g., CUnit, Unity, PyTest) in an embedded context.

Weekly Hours

40 Time Type: Regular Location: Bangalore, India, Hyderabad, India AT&T and its subsidiaries are committed to equal employment opportunity. All hiring, promotion, and other employment decisions remain merit-based and free from discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, religious creed, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, physical disability, mental disability, pregnancy, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, citizenship status, military status, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. In addition, AT&T will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. AT&T is a fair chance employer and does not initiate a background check until an offer is made. Click here to learn more or request an application accommodation here .