The packet level

Overview

We are looking for an Engineer I to join our Smart Switch firmware team. 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.

About The packet level

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

Requirements & Eligibility

• 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

Key Responsibilities

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• Hardware Lab Work: Work hands-on with switch hardware in the lab — serial console, traffic generators, packet capture, JTAG when needed.
• Code Reviews & Learning: Participate in code reviews as both author and reviewer.
• AI-Augmented Development: Use AI coding agents daily to accelerate ramp-up, generate boilerplate, explore unfamiliar code, draft tests, and assist with debugging.