Engineer I, Smart Switch Software Development
Department: Enterprise Engineering — Smart Switch Software Development
Employment Type: Full-time
About NETGEAR
NETGEAR has been pioneering advanced networking technology since 1996, delivering innovative products that connect people to the internet, power businesses, and enable digital experiences. Our Smart Switch product line serves small-to-medium businesses and enterprises worldwide, offering advanced L2/L3 managed switching with cloud-based management through NETGEAR Insight. We are building a new engineering center in Chennai to drive the next generation of our smart switch firmware platform.
About the Role
We are looking for an Engineer I to join our Smart Switch firmware team in Chennai. This is an entry-level role designed for early-career engineers who are passionate about embedded systems and networking, and who want to grow into deep technical experts on production-grade switch firmware.
You will work alongside senior engineers on the core firmware that powers NETGEAR's smart switch product families across multiple ARM64 and MIPS hardware platforms. Your day-to-day will span low-level embedded C development, Linux kernel modules and device drivers, and the implementation of L2/L3 networking protocols that move real customer traffic in real networks.
This role is ideal for an engineer who is curious about how networks work at the packet level, comfortable reading datasheets and IEEE/IETF standards, and excited to debug problems that span hardware, kernel, and application layers. You will receive structured mentorship, clear ownership of well-scoped features, and the runway to grow toward Engineer II within 18-24 months.
As the industry shifts toward AI-augmented development, we expect every engineer on the team — including new graduates — to use AI coding agents (e.g., Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot) as part of their daily workflow for code generation, debugging, learning, and accelerating ramp-up.
What You Will Do
- Embedded C Development: Write, debug, and maintain embedded C code for user-space daemons, shared libraries, and Linux kernel modules running on resource-constrained ARM64 and MIPS switch platforms. Follow team coding standards and learn to write code that is efficient, defensive, and production-ready.
- Drivers & Platform Bring-Up: Assist senior engineers in developing and maintaining device drivers, board support package (BSP) code, and the hardware abstraction layer (HAL) that connects the switch ASIC SDK to higher-level firmware components.
- L2/L3 Protocol Work: Implement well-scoped pieces of L2/L3 networking features under guidance — VLANs, STP/RSTP, LLDP, IGMP snooping, LACP, ACLs. Read the relevant IEEE/IETF standards, study existing code, and ship correct, conformant implementations.
- Bug Fixes & Debugging: Take ownership of bug tickets from the field and internal QA — reproduce on hardware, isolate root cause across kernel, driver, and application layers, and deliver fixes with regression coverage. Use GDB, strace, kernel logs, tcpdump, and Wireshark as everyday tools.
- Hardware Lab Work: Work hands-on with switch hardware in the lab — serial console, traffic generators, packet capture, JTAG when needed. Learn to validate firmware behavior on real hardware before merge.
- Code Reviews & Learning: Participate in code reviews as both author and reviewer. Ask good questions, document what you learn, and grow your understanding of the full firmware stack over time.
- AI-Augmented Development: Use AI coding agents daily to accelerate ramp-up, generate boilerplate, explore unfamiliar code, draft tests, and assist with debugging. Develop the judgment to know when to trust AI output and when to verify against datasheets, standards, and hardware behavior.
What We Are Looking For
Required:
- B.Tech/B.E. or M.Tech/M.E. in Computer Science, Electronics, Electrical, or a related field
- 0-2 years of professional experience
- Strong programming fundamentals in C — pointers, memory management, structs, bit manipulation, and the standard library
- Working knowledge of Linux as a development environment — shell, GCC toolchain, GDB, Make, Git
- Foundational understanding of computer networks — OSI model, Ethernet, IP, TCP/UDP, ARP, VLANs, subnetting
- Familiarity with operating system concepts — processes, threads, scheduling, interrupts, memory layout
- Curiosity about embedded systems and a willingness to read datasheets, standards documents, and existing codebases
- Comfort using AI coding assistants (e.g., Claude Code, Cursor, GitHub Copilot) in academic projects, internships, or personal work
- Strong written and verbal communication in English; ability to collaborate effectively with team members across time zones
Preferred:
- Coursework, internship, or project experience in embedded systems, RTOS, microcontrollers, or device drivers
- Exposure to Linux kernel internals — kernel modules, character devices, /proc and /sys interfaces, or basic driver development
- Hands-on work with networking labs — configuring switches/routers, packet capture with Wireshark or tcpdump, building a small network
- Familiarity with any L2 protocol at an implementation level (e.g., a class project that implemented STP, ARP, or a simple router)
- Cross-compilation experience for ARM or MIPS targets, or hands-on work with platforms like Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone, or OpenWrt
- Open-source contributions, GitHub portfolio, hackathon projects, or competitive programming background
- Familiarity with scripting (Python, Bash) for automation and tooling
- Understanding of version control workflows beyond basic commit/push — branching, rebasing, code review
What We Offer
- Structured onboarding and mentorship from senior engineers and architects on the Chennai team
- Clear technical growth path from Engineer I to Engineer II/III with defined competency milestones
- Real ownership of production firmware features that ship to customers worldwide
- Modern development environment with AI tooling, CI/CD, and well-equipped hardware labs
- Competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and a collaborative team culture
Company Statement/Values:
At NETGEAR, we are on a mission to unleash the full potential of connectivity with intelligent solutions that delight and protect. We turn ideas into innovative networking products that connect people, power businesses, and advance the way we live.
We're a performance-driven, talented and connected team that's committed to delivering world-class products for our customers. As a company, we value our employees as the most essential building blocks of our success. And as teammates, we commit to taking our work to the Next Gear by living our values: we Dare to Transform the future, Connect and Delight our customers, Communicate Courageously with each other and collaborate to Win It Together. You’ll find our values woven through our processes, present in our decisions, and celebrated throughout our culture.
We strive to attract top talent and create a great workplace where people feel engaged, inspired, challenged, proud and respected. If you are creative, forward-thinking, passionate about technology and are looking for a rewarding career to make an impact, then you've got what it takes to succeed at NETGEAR. Join our network and help us shape the future of connectivity.
NETGEAR hires based on merit. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
