Systems Engineer III
Systems Engineer III – Linux, PCIe & NVMe Systems Debug
Location: Milpitas, CA (100% onsite) standard business hours
Duration: 3-Month Contract with Potential to Extend or Convert
Pay Rate: up to 67.00/hour DOE
About the Role
We are seeking an experienced Systems Engineer to support the development, debugging, and stabilization of Linux-based internal test platforms. This position requires deep Linux systems expertise combined with a strong understanding of PCIe and NVMe technologies.
The engineer will investigate complex system-level failures and determine whether issues originate within the Linux kernel, device drivers, PCIe/NVMe stack, firmware, BIOS, or underlying hardware. The initial focus will be troubleshooting and stabilizing a specific Linux-based test system, working closely with hardware, software, firmware, and test engineering teams.
Responsibilities
- Diagnose and resolve complex Linux system, kernel, device driver, PCIe, and NVMe issues
- Debug PCIe problems including device enumeration, link training, link stability, AER/errors, resets, bandwidth, and device communication
- Troubleshoot NVMe/SSD devices and their interaction with the Linux and PCIe stack
- Analyze Linux kernel logs, system logs, traces, crash dumps, kernel panics, and driver behavior
- Use Linux diagnostic/debugging tools such as lspci, dmesg, sysfs, kernel tracing, and related utilities
- Perform root-cause analysis across hardware, firmware, BIOS/UEFI, Linux kernel, device drivers, and applications
- Debug and stabilize internal test platforms containing PCIe/NVMe devices and other custom hardware
- Develop scripts or software utilities using C/C , Python, Bash, or similar languages to support debugging, testing, and automation
- Reproduce system failures, validate fixes, and ensure long-term system stability
- Partner closely with hardware, firmware, software, and test engineers during system bring-up and troubleshooting
- Document technical findings, root causes, debugging procedures, and validated solutions
Required Qualifications
- Strong hands-on experience working with Linux systems, ideally at the kernel or systems-software level
- Deep understanding of PCIe architecture, protocols, and troubleshooting
- Strong knowledge of NVMe and PCIe-based storage devices
- Experience debugging Linux device drivers and kernel/system-level issues
- Ability to troubleshoot complex interactions between the Linux OS, drivers, PCIe/NVMe devices, firmware, BIOS, and hardware
- Experience using Linux debugging and diagnostic tools such as lspci, dmesg, kernel logs, tracing tools, and crash analysis
- Strong system-level root-cause analysis and troubleshooting skills
- Programming/scripting experience with C, C , Python, Bash, or similar languages
- Experience with hardware or platform bring-up, system validation, or test environments
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with SSD/NVMe development, validation, or debugging
- Experience with PCIe switches, retimers, or complex PCIe topologies
- Linux kernel or device-driver development experience
- Experience with BIOS/UEFI and low-level firmware
- Familiarity with PCIe protocol analyzers, logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, or similar debugging equipment
- Experience supporting semiconductor, storage, server, or high-performance computing platforms
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