Senior Software Engineer - Firmware + Audio
We are seeking a Senior Software Engineer with deep expertise in audio subsystems to own end-to-end audio delivery on Windows-based Surface devices. In this role, you will be the technical authority driving audio bring-up, driver ingestion, quality, and validation across flagship Surface programs – from early platform bring-up. You will architect solutions across the hardware-firmware-driver-APO boundary, mentor junior engineers, and collaborate closely with silicon partners, audio processing vendors, and cross-functional teams to deliver a world-class audio experience on premium consumer hardware. Responsibilities Technical ownership of the audio subsystem for flagship Surface programs, driving milestone exit criteria and ensuring zero-regression driver ingestions. Architect and design audio solutions spanning the full stack: hardware endpoints -> DSP firmware -> kernel drivers -> APO pipeline -> user-mode services. Lead audio bring-up and endpoint validation on new platforms, including speaker, microphone, headset jack, SoundWire, and Bluetooth audio paths. Develop, debug, and maintain Windows audio/media class drivers (WDM/WDF) and Audio Processing Objects (APOs) in the silicon audio stack (DSP RPC, Audio Core, APO). Drive partner engagements – coordinate driver ingestion cycles with silicon and IHV partners; validate, triage, and qualify driver packages before integration. Own root-cause analysis of complex audio quality issues (crackling, glitching, latency, distortion) using hardware-level analysers, DSP diagnostics, and Windows audio traces (WPR/WPA, AudioDG, MFTrace). Integrate and validate third-party audio processing pipelines (DAX, Microsoft Effect Pack, Voice Clarity) within the Windows APO chain. Mentor and grow team members – conduct code reviews, establish debugging best practices, and distribute domain knowledge across the team. Drive SelfHost stability and audio backlog resolution, proactively identifying systemic issues and unblocking critical paths. Collaborate on voice platform strategy, including integration of AI/ML-powered audio features (noise suppression, echo cancellation, speech enhancement). Champion engineering excellence – introduce automation for repetitive validation, improve triage workflows, and raise the team’s technical bar. Participate in secure development practices (SFI), closing critical security bugs within SLA and designing for security by default. Qualifications Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or related technical field AND 10+ years technical engineering experience with coding in languages including, but not limited to, C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, or Python. OR equivalent experience. 10+ years of experience in software development with 4+ years focused on audio/media driver or subsystem development on Windows or embedded platforms. Expert proficiency in C/C++ with extensive experience writing and debugging Windows kernel-mode drivers (WDM/WDF). Deep understanding of the Windows audio architecture – audio engine, APO framework, endpoint management, media class drivers, and audio policy. Proven experience working with DSP-based audio subsystems (Qualcomm ADSP, or similar), including firmware-host interaction via RPC/IPC mechanisms. Demonstrated ability to independently root-cause complex, cross-stack audio issues: hardware -> DSP firmware -> driver -> APO -> application. Solid foundation in audio signal processing: sample rates, buffer management, latency tuning, DMA transfers, and audio streaming models. Track record of shipping 3+ high-volume consumer products through full development cycles (bring-up to commercialization). Expert debugging skills using WinDbg, WPR/WPA, bus analysers (I2S/SoundWire/I2C), and audio-specific diagnostics. Demonstrated ability to lead cross-team technical discussions and influence partner roadmaps.
Audio platforms (ADSP,APO) on ARM64/X86-based Windows devices
Audio enhancement stacks: Dolby DAX/Atmos, Microsoft Effect Pack, Voice Clarity
Automation/tooling for driver validation