Staff Engineer Jobs in Santa Clara, CA
Staff Engineer jobs in Santa Clara are in high demand, concentrated in the Central Expressway corridor, the Lawrence Station area, and the Patrick Henry Drive tech cluster, across semiconductor, networking hardware, and enterprise software. Leading employers include ServiceNow, Palo Alto Networks, and Qualcomm. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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Whether you’re designing next-gen processors, enabling AI breakthroughs, or bringing leading edge products to market, every role at AMD contributes to something bigger — technology that moves the world forward. Join us and, together, we’ll advance your career.
THE ROLE:
This is an excellent opportunity to work on a growing team passionate about firmware that matters to all of AMD's CPU and GPU product lines. As a member of the Firmware Engineering team you will develop and debug embedded firmware in both pre-silicon and post-silicon environments, contribute to the test automation and sanity infrastructure that keeps firmware quality high, and use AI-native and agentic development tools to move faster across multiple SoC programs.
THE PERSON:
To be successful in this role you will have a strong firmware development background and solid technical depth, complemented by problem-solving skills, organization and clear communication. You are a self-starter who enjoys chasing a hard bug down through the stack to silicon. Hardware experience and knowledge is a strong asset in this deeply embedded application.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Design, develop, debug, verify and validate embedded firmware for CPU and GPU subsystems.
- Develop low-level firmware for embedded systems in an RTOS environment.
- Work closely with multi-functional teams such as architecture, design, verification, power management, BIOS and driver teams on delivery of integrated firmware solutions.
- Engage in pre-silicon validation such as co-simulation with IP and SoC emulation; support post-silicon enablement, platform bring-up and production cycle efforts.
- Write and maintain automated test cases and sanity/regression suites, and keep CI/CD coverage healthy.
- Use AI coding agents and AI-assisted test-case generation to accelerate development and debug.
- Participate in design and code reviews and uphold firmware development best practices.
PREFERRED EXPERIENCE:
- Strong in C; proficient in Python and familiar with C++.
- Experience with microcontrollers, embedded systems, and device driver or firmware development.
- Experience with Real-Time Operating Systems and board support packages.
- Proficiency with firmware lab debug, triage and implementation of bug fixes during silicon bring-up.
- Understanding of hardware and software system integration and low-level hardware/firmware interfaces.
- Experience with firmware integration testing and debug in pre and post silicon.
- Hands-on with test automation frameworks, test-case generation, CI/CD (GitHub Actions or similar) and sanity infrastructure.
- Working familiarity with AI-native and agentic development tools for coding, test generation and triage.
- Well versed in software engineering practices and source control (Git); comfortable in a Linux build environment.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to work independently under tight deadlines.
ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS:
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Engineering Science or Computer Science; Master's preferred.
LOCATION:
Santa Clara, CA
This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship.
AMD does not accept unsolicited resumes from headhunters, recruitment agencies, or fee-based recruitment services. AMD and its subsidiaries are equal opportunity, inclusive employers and will consider all applicants without regard to age, ancestry, color, marital status, medical condition, mental or physical disability, national origin, race, religion, political and/or third-party affiliation, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We encourage applications from all qualified candidates and will accommodate applicants’ needs under the respective laws throughout all stages of the recruitment and selection process.
AMD may use Artificial Intelligence to help screen, assess or select applicants for this position. AMD’s “Responsible AI Policy” is available here.
This posting is for an existing vacancy.
Whether you’re designing next-gen processors, enabling AI breakthroughs, or bringing leading edge products to market, every role at AMD contributes to something bigger — technology that moves the world forward. Join us and, together, we’ll advance your career.
THE ROLE:
This is an excellent opportunity to work on a growing team passionate about firmware that matters to all of AMD's CPU and GPU product lines. As a member of the Firmware Engineering team you will develop and debug embedded firmware in both pre-silicon and post-silicon environments, contribute to the test automation and sanity infrastructure that keeps firmware quality high, and use AI-native and agentic development tools to move faster across multiple SoC programs.
THE PERSON:
To be successful in this role you will have a strong firmware development background and solid technical depth, complemented by problem-solving skills, organization and clear communication. You are a self-starter who enjoys chasing a hard bug down through the stack to silicon. Hardware experience and knowledge is a strong asset in this deeply embedded application.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Design, develop, debug, verify and validate embedded firmware for CPU and GPU subsystems.
- Develop low-level firmware for embedded systems in an RTOS environment.
- Work closely with multi-functional teams such as architecture, design, verification, power management, BIOS and driver teams on delivery of integrated firmware solutions.
- Engage in pre-silicon validation such as co-simulation with IP and SoC emulation; support post-silicon enablement, platform bring-up and production cycle efforts.
- Write and maintain automated test cases and sanity/regression suites, and keep CI/CD coverage healthy.
- Use AI coding agents and AI-assisted test-case generation to accelerate development and debug.
- Participate in design and code reviews and uphold firmware development best practices.
PREFERRED EXPERIENCE:
- Strong in C; proficient in Python and familiar with C++.
- Experience with microcontrollers, embedded systems, and device driver or firmware development.
- Experience with Real-Time Operating Systems and board support packages.
- Proficiency with firmware lab debug, triage and implementation of bug fixes during silicon bring-up.
- Understanding of hardware and software system integration and low-level hardware/firmware interfaces.
- Experience with firmware integration testing and debug in pre and post silicon.
- Hands-on with test automation frameworks, test-case generation, CI/CD (GitHub Actions or similar) and sanity infrastructure.
- Working familiarity with AI-native and agentic development tools for coding, test generation and triage.
- Well versed in software engineering practices and source control (Git); comfortable in a Linux build environment.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, and the ability to work independently under tight deadlines.
ACADEMIC CREDENTIALS:
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Engineering Science or Computer Science; Master's preferred.
LOCATION:
Santa Clara, CA
This role is not eligible for visa sponsorship.
AMD does not accept unsolicited resumes from headhunters, recruitment agencies, or fee-based recruitment services. AMD and its subsidiaries are equal opportunity, inclusive employers and will consider all applicants without regard to age, ancestry, color, marital status, medical condition, mental or physical disability, national origin, race, religion, political and/or third-party affiliation, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We encourage applications from all qualified candidates and will accommodate applicants’ needs under the respective laws throughout all stages of the recruitment and selection process.
AMD may use Artificial Intelligence to help screen, assess or select applicants for this position. AMD’s “Responsible AI Policy” is available here.
This posting is for an existing vacancy.
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Find Staff Engineer JobsStaff Engineer Job Market in Santa Clara
Who's Hiring
- ServiceNow33
- Palo Alto Networks21
- Qualcomm20
- Marvell Technology18
- d-Matrix15
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software23
- Electronics & Hardware14
- Telecommunications8
- Artificial Intelligence6
- Cybersecurity5
Staff Engineer Jobs in Santa Clara: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a staff engineer job in Santa Clara?
Focus your search on Santa Clara's dominant employer types: semiconductor manufacturers, networking hardware companies, and enterprise software firms clustered along the Central Expressway and near Great America Parkway. Candidates who stand out typically bring deep systems or hardware experience relevant to silicon or infrastructure products. Engaging directly with engineering teams at local tech campuses and targeting companies with active R&D operations in Santa Clara gives you a concrete edge over remote applicants.
Which companies hire staff engineers in Santa Clara?
Companies currently hiring staff engineers in Santa Clara include ServiceNow, Palo Alto Networks, and Qualcomm, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Santa Clara's employer base skews heavily toward established semiconductor and networking giants as well as fast-growing infrastructure startups with engineering headquarters in the city.
Are there remote staff engineer jobs in Santa Clara?
Yes, though availability depends on the discipline. Staff engineer roles tied to hardware, lab work, or chip design are almost always on-site, while platform, backend, and cloud infrastructure roles can run fully remote. About 64% of staff engineer openings tied to Santa Clara are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, with hybrid arrangements most common at large enterprise software firms based in the city.
How can I get a staff engineer job in Santa Clara with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in Santa Clara is through a senior software engineer or senior systems engineer role at one of the city's mid-size semiconductor or networking companies, where internal promotion to staff level is common. Look for employers with structured engineering ladders and active university partnerships with nearby schools. Contract-to-hire positions at Santa Clara's hardware and infrastructure firms also offer a direct route into staff-level work without requiring prior staff titles.
Which industries hire the most staff engineers in Santa Clara?
Santa Clara staff engineer roles concentrate in Technology & Software, Electronics & Hardware, and Telecommunications, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Santa Clara's position as a global hub for semiconductor design and enterprise networking infrastructure means those sectors consistently generate the highest volume of staff-level engineering openings in the city.
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