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Dell is staffing validation of open-source SONiC network operating system for AI data-center fabrics, signaling that its infrastructure hardware is being built around a Linux-based, disaggregated networking stack and that the company's AI pitch now runs through networking, not just servers and GPUs.
Principal Software Engineer – System Test, Hardware & Firmware Validation (SONiC AI & Enterprise Networking)
Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG) builds the products that power infrastructure, solutions, and data management our customers need most. Our teams design and develop the hardware and software that connect infrastructure, accelerate computational workloads, integrate across the stack, protect data continuity, and deliver the platforms, applications, and diagnostics our customers rely on every day at enterprise scale.
Some product builders follow the rules. Ours rewrite them.
Within ISG, innovation isn't just about creating new technology- it's about challenging assumptions and reimagining how work gets done. Engineers define intent, author precise specifications, and orchestrate AI agents that execute at speed and scale. AI is embedded throughout our development process, helping us move faster, learn quicker, and deliver greater impact. Yet the most important contribution remains uniquely human: deciding what to build, designing how it should work, and applying the judgment needed to earn our customers' trust. When your products power critical infrastructure around the world, that responsibility matters.
We move quickly toward the work that matters most. We reward experimentation, encourage bold thinking, and remove unnecessary barriers so great ideas can become reality faster. Our teams embrace a customer-first, first-to-market mindset, transforming rapid feedback into better products and better outcomes. We aren't looking for people who are content with the status quo- we look for builders who question it, improve it, and occasionally rewrite it.
If you're energized by solving complex systems challenges, excited to work alongside AI to amplify your impact, and motivated by the opportunity to shape what's next instead of simply maintaining what's been done before, you'll find your place here.
Join us to do the best work of your career and make a profound social impact as a principal Software Engineer on our System Test Engineering Team in Chennai, India.
What you’ll achieve
As a Principal Software Engineer, you will be responsible for validating the hardware and firmware foundation of SONiC-based networking platforms at system breadth and depth close to the hardware, running checks from ONIE, NOS, and diagnostic environments across BIOS/UEFI, BMC, CPLD, POST, and platform management. As a successful candidate, you will be a technically savvy, passionate, and strongly self-driven engineer who drives the deliverables and objectives entrusted to you, your team, and scrums, who enjoys solving complex platform and firmware challenges, works with ODM and OEM partners to hold quality to a high bar, and delivers reliable, secure, production-ready networking platforms. Hiring at the Principal Software Engineer level or below, based on technical expertise, experience, and demonstrated impact.
You will:
Validate ONIE (Open Network Install Environment), BIOS/UEFI (Basic Input/Output System / Unified Extensible Firmware Interface), BMC (Baseboard Management Controller) and OpenBMC, CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), POST (Power-On Self-Test), and platform management, including board bring-up across Dell iDRAC (Integrated Dell Remote Access Controller)-based and non-iDRAC-based platforms, boot and board reset loops, version fetch, and SEL (System Event Log) review.
Execute stability, longevity, failover, recovery, and upgrade and downgrade loops across air-cooled and DLC architectures, using NPU tools and traffic generators for longevity and PHY-related testing, and validate multi-NOS (multiple network operating systems) installation and compatibility workflows.
Perform security validation, including secure boot, image tampering tests, PFR (Platform Firmware Resilience), firmware integrity, CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) assessment and remediation validation, threat modeling, and platform hardening.
Partner with ODM (Original Design Manufacturer) and OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) teams on firmware releases, platform bring-up, defect triage, and release sign-off, and drive vendor quality management, including supplier quality reviews, incoming quality checks, failure analysis, and CAPA (Corrective and Preventive Action).
Analyze firmware logs, telemetry, diagnostics, and crash dumps, and build test plans and Python automation aligned with spec-driven and test-driven development (SDD/TDD), plus AI agents that improve execution efficiency, impact, and value, to triage and close field escapes.
Take the first step towards your dream career
Every Dell Technologies team member brings something unique to the table. Here’s what we are looking for with this role:
Essential Requirements
System breadth and depth: hardware and firmware validation close to the hardware, including NPU tool-based testing and board bring-up, with hands-on expertise in ONIE, BIOS/UEFI, BMC/OpenBMC, CPLD, POST, secure boot, PFR (Platform Firmware Resilience), and platform diagnostics.
Subsystem depth: validation of iDRAC-based and non-iDRAC-based networking platforms, air-cooled and DLC-based systems, with strong understanding of switch ASIC, system management, power, thermal, and hardware health monitoring subsystems, and host compute interfaces, plus Redfish (the industry-standard REST API for hardware management), platform telemetry, firmware logging, and diagnostics.
Hardware stress and recovery: DDR, PCIe, SSD, PSU, and fan stress, OIR (online insertion and removal), and board reset loops, plus longevity, resiliency, upgrade/downgrade, and recovery validation, including traffic-generator longevity and PHY testing.
Automation and vendor quality: strong Python programming and automation skills, with ODM and OEM partner release quality, vendor quality management, incoming inspection, supplier scorecards, and CAPA.
Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering in CSE, ECE, EEE, IT, Computer Networks, Cloud Computing, or equivalent.
Desirable Requirements
Experience with SpyTest, CI/CD workflows, and automated validation environments, plus exposure to security scanning and network analysis tools, for example OpenSCAP, Nessus, Qualys, Trivy, OpenVAS, Lynis, and Nmap.
Experience building or using AI agents and AI-assisted workflows (AI models and tools, for example Claude, Devin, GitHub Copilot) for automation, test development, analysis, and troubleshooting.
Application Closing Date: 30 November 2026
Who We AreWe believe that each of us has the power to make an impact. That’s why we put our team members at the center of everything we do. If you’re looking for an opportunity to grow your career with some of the best minds and most advanced tech in the industry, we’re looking for you.
Dell Technologies is a unique family of businesses that helps individuals and organizations transform how they work, live and play. Join us to build a future that works for everyone because Progress Takes All of Us.
Dell Technologies is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. Read the full Equal Employment Opportunity Policy.
Visit our Culture Code page to learn more about how we work and lead.
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