STEM OPT Firmware Jobs
Firmware roles in embedded systems, real-time OS development, and hardware-software integration qualify for STEM OPT's 24-month extension when your degree aligns with an approved CIP code. Your employer must be enrolled in E-Verify, and you'll work under a structured I-983 training plan tied to your engineering or computer science credentials.
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INTRODUCTION
This role has been designed as ‘Hybrid’ with an expectation that you will work on average 2 days per week from an HPE office.
Who We Are:
Hewlett Packard Enterprise is the global edge-to-cloud company advancing the way people live and work. We help companies connect, protect, analyze, and act on their data and applications wherever they live, from edge to cloud, so they can turn insights into outcomes at the speed required to thrive in today’s complex world. Our culture thrives on finding new and better ways to accelerate what’s next. We know varied backgrounds are valued and succeed here. We have the flexibility to manage our work and personal needs. We make bold moves, together, and are a force for good. If you are looking to stretch and grow your career our culture will embrace you. Open up opportunities with HPE.
Job Description:
Job Family Definition:
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) advances the way people live and work. We bring together curious minds to create breakthrough technology solutions, helping our customers make their mark on the world.
We are leading the world in supercomputing technology. Our customers are focused on making the world better, healthier, and brighter, and we are making that possible.
As the most critical team in our R&D organization, we are responsible for our core and new product development. We are seeking a motivated, skilled Software Engineer for our High-Performance Networking Platform team. The ideal candidates will have strong technical and interpersonal skills, a deep set of hands-on experience with large-scale networks, public and private cloud platforms, a passion for innovating, integrating, and developing the distributed and large-scale network fabric, and an interest in the world of HPC.
How you'll make your mark:
- Influence the strategic direction of our network architecture
- Implement critical functionality and capabilities in the switch and NIC data plane – including driver development for configuration, control and monitoring of a custom ASICs and creating APIs to interface with the layers above
- Develop/implement per requirements with high-performance, resiliency and scalability as the primary considerations
- Contribute learning to the larger community via written guidance and presentations
- Contribute to the broader HPE/Cray R&D leadership community
Management Level Definition:
Contributions include applying developed subject matter expertise to solve common and sometimes complex technical problems and recommending alternatives where necessary. Might act as project lead and provide assistance to lower level professionals. Exercises independent judgment and consults with others to determine best method for accomplishing work and achieving objectives.
Responsibilities:
- Designs enhancements, updates, and programming changes for portions and subsystems of systems software, including operating systems, compilers, networking, utilities, databases, and Internet-related tools.
- Analyzes design and determines coding, programming, and integration activities required based on general objectives and knowledge of overall architecture of product or solution.
- Writes and executes complete testing plans, protocols, and documentation for assigned portion of application; identifies and debugs, and creates solutions for issues with code and integration into application architecture.
- Leads a project team of other software systems engineers and internal and outsourced development partners to develop reliable, cost effective and high quality solutions for assigned systems portion or subsystem.
- Collaborates and communicates with management, internal, and outsourced development partners regarding software systems design status, project progress, and issue resolution.
- Represents the software systems engineering team for all phases of larger and more-complex development projects. Provides guidance and mentoring to less-experienced staff members.
- Provides guidance and mentoring to less-experienced staff members.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:
- Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Information Systems, or equivalent.
- Typically 4-6 years experience.
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:
- Expertise in multiple software systems design tools and languages.
- Strong analytical and problem solving skills.
- Designing software systems running on multiple platform types.
- Software systems testing methodology, including writing and execution of test plans, debugging, and testing scripts and tools.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills; mastery in English and local language. Ability to effectively communicate product architectures, design proposals and negotiate options at management levels.
WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU:
Health & Wellbeing
We strive to provide our team members and their loved ones with a comprehensive suite of benefits that supports their physical, financial and emotional wellbeing.
Personal & Professional Development
We also invest in your career because the better you are, the better we all are. We have specific programs catered to helping you reach any career goals you have — whether you want to become a knowledge expert in your field or apply your skills to another division.
Unconditional Inclusion
We are unconditionally inclusive in the way we work and celebrate individual uniqueness. We know varied backgrounds are valued and succeed here. We have the flexibility to manage our work and personal needs. We make bold moves, together, and are a force for good.
Job:
Engineering
Job Level:
TCP_03
Compensation:
The expected salary/wage range for this position is provided below. Actual offer may vary from this range based upon geographic location, work experience, education/training, and/or skill level.
- United States of America: Annual Salary USD 106,000 - 243,000 in Minnesota & Wisconsin
The listed salary range reflects base salary. Variable incentives may also be offered.
Information about employee benefits offered in the US can be found at https://myhperewards.com/main/new-hire-enrollment.html
HPE is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Veterans/Disabled/LGBT employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, or any other protected category, and all decisions we make are made on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need. Our goal is to be one global team that is representative of our customers, in an inclusive environment where we can continue to innovate and grow together. Please click here: Equal Employment Opportunity.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise is EEO Protected Veteran/ Individual with Disabilities.
HPE will comply with all applicable laws related to employer use of arrest and conviction records, including laws requiring employers to consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories.
No Fees Notice & Recruitment Fraud Disclaimer
It has come to HPE’s attention that there has been an increase in recruitment fraud whereby scammers impersonate HPE or HPE-authorized recruiting agencies and offer fake employment opportunities to candidates. These scammers often seek to obtain personal information or money from candidates.
Please note that Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), its direct and indirect subsidiaries and affiliated companies, and its authorized recruitment agencies/vendors will never charge any candidate a registration fee, hiring fee, or any other fee in connection with its recruitment and hiring process. The credentials of any hiring agency that claims to be working with HPE for recruitment of talent should be verified by candidates and candidates shall be solely responsible to conduct such verification. Any candidate/individual who relies on the erroneous representations made by fraudulent employment agencies does so at their own risk, and HPE disclaims liability for any damages or claims that may result from any such communication.
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Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding STEM OPT Authorization in Firmware
Verify your CIP code before applying
Pull your degree's Classification of Instructional Programs code from your DSO and cross-reference it against the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List. Electrical engineering, computer engineering, and embedded systems degrees almost always qualify, but closely related fields like mechatronics need explicit confirmation before you commit to a role.
Confirm E-Verify enrollment before accepting offers
Firmware teams at smaller embedded hardware companies and defense contractors often aren't E-Verify enrolled by default. Search the E-Verify employer search tool by company name before your final interview round so you're not negotiating an offer from a company that legally can't employ you on STEM OPT.
Build an I-983 training plan around measurable firmware deliverables
Generic training plans get rejected. Map each I-983 learning objective to a concrete firmware milestone: bootloader development, RTOS porting, or hardware bring-up. Your DSO signs off only when the plan demonstrates direct connection between the work and your STEM degree field.
Search Migrate Mate to filter employers with STEM OPT history
Firmware openings are scattered across defense, automotive, IoT, and semiconductor sectors. Migrate Mate filters roles by employers who have verifiable STEM OPT and E-Verify compliance history, so you spend less time vetting and more time applying to positions that are actually accessible to you.
Target companies filing LCAs for embedded or firmware roles
Use the OFLC Wage Search to identify companies that have filed Labor Condition Applications under SOC codes for electrical engineers or software developers. Firms with active LCA filings are already inside the DOL compliance infrastructure, which makes transitioning you from STEM OPT to H-1B sponsorship significantly smoother.
Time your H-1B registration to cover your OPT end date
If your STEM OPT expires before October 1 of the H-1B fiscal year, cap-gap protection under USCIS rules extends your work authorization automatically while the petition is pending. Align your STEM OPT extension start date with your employer's fiscal year calendar so your authorization never lapses between filing and approval.
Firmware jobs are hiring across the US. Find yours.
Find Firmware JobsFrequently Asked Questions
Does my degree qualify me for the STEM OPT extension in a firmware role?
Your degree must appear on the DHS STEM Designated Degree Program List under an approved CIP code. Electrical engineering, computer engineering, and computer science degrees consistently qualify. Mechanical engineering degrees with embedded systems coursework may qualify depending on your school's CIP assignment. Confirm your exact CIP code with your DSO before accepting any firmware position, since the extension authorization is tied to the degree field, not the job title.
Does a firmware employer need to be enrolled in E-Verify?
Yes. USCIS requires that all STEM OPT employers be enrolled in E-Verify before your extension is approved. This applies to every employer in the chain, including staffing agencies if you're placed through one. Smaller firmware shops and hardware startups frequently overlook this requirement. Verify enrollment directly through the E-Verify employer search before signing an offer letter.
What should my I-983 training plan include for a firmware engineering position?
Your I-983 must document specific learning objectives tied to your STEM degree, not just a job description. For firmware roles, list concrete technical goals: bare-metal driver development, real-time operating system integration, hardware bring-up procedures, or debugging embedded communication protocols. USCIS requires that each objective connects directly to your degree field, and your employer must sign off confirming the work meets those goals. Vague plans citing general 'engineering experience' are routinely rejected.
How does cap-gap work if my STEM OPT expires before my H-1B starts?
Cap-gap protection under USCIS regulations automatically extends your work authorization if your employer files an H-1B petition before your STEM OPT end date and you're selected in the lottery. The extension runs through September 30 of the H-1B fiscal year. You can continue working in your firmware role during this window without interruption. If the petition is denied or withdrawn, cap-gap protection ends and you must stop working immediately.
Where can I find firmware jobs open to STEM OPT students?
Migrate Mate lists firmware roles filtered by employers with E-Verify enrollment and STEM OPT compatibility, so you're not sifting through postings from companies that can't legally hire you on an OPT extension. Firmware openings span defense, automotive, semiconductor, and consumer electronics sectors. Narrowing by employer compliance history up front saves significant time during a job search where your authorization window is limited.
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