Staff Engineer

Role Overview:

Plume's Core Engineering team builds the open-standards firmware foundation of our platform across RDK-B, prplOS and OpenWRT and OpenSync. We are looking for a Staff Engineer to own the controller based broadband router firmware stack end to end: architecture, design, implementation, upstreaming.

You will be the technical lead for various features like device management, network management, Wi-Fi and multi-AP mesh features such as backhaul management and steering, onboarding and metrics etc.

What you'll do:

• Own architecture and design for various CPE features like EasyMesh, Wi-Fi Optimization, remote and local controller over standard SDK platforms like RDK-B, PrplOS, OpenWRT and OpenSync. This includes deep Wi-Fi sub-system management like backhaul link tracking, standard and hitless (make-before-break) backhaul steering, backhaul STA policies, and AP/STA metrics.
• Break large features into sequenced, reviewable work. Write design documents, feature matrices and validation reports that both engineers and program stakeholders can use.
• Maintain Plume's RDK-B Yocto layer and patch framework. Lead quarterly rebases onto new RDK-B releases and keep reference builds healthy on gateway and extender targets.
• Close gaps in TR-181 data models exposed through USP (obuspa) and UBus, RBus, including Wi-Fi DataElements, DHCP and DNS.
• Deliver onboarding flows: WPS, Wi-Fi EasyConnect (DPP) and backhaul onboarding, with WPA3/SAE, 6 GHz and Wi-Fi 7 MLO support.
• Triage and fix Alpha, Beta and GA blockers: mesh instability, IPv6 dual-stack and RA behavior, routing, firmware upgrade failures, and CPU and memory regressions. Back each fix with measured before/after data.
• Upstream fixes to opensource community like RDK Central, PrplOS, OpenWRT and evaluate competing community contributions against our own implementation.
• Contribute to cross-platform work on prplOS/prplMesh and OpenSync, including porting spikes and architecture comparisons.
• Review code and mentor engineers. Work closely with QA, program management and architects in other regions.

What you'll bring:

• 10+ years building embedded Linux or networking firmware, with 4+ years on Wi-Fi or broadband CPE software.
• Strong C and C++ on Linux user space, plus shell scripting. Comfortable debugging on target with gdb, core dumps, /proc and packet captures.
• Hands-on RDK-B (e.g. CCSP components, RBus, OneWifi, WebConfig, and Yocto/BitBake builds) and PrplOS experiences
• Deep 802.11 knowledge: hostapd and wpa_supplicant, 802.11k/v/r and BTM, WPA3/SAE, 6 GHz, MLO.
• Working knowledge of EasyMesh and IEEE 1905.1: topology discovery, TLVs, controller/agent state machines and backhaul.
• TR-181 and USP/TR-369. TR-069 experience is a plus.
• Solid IP networking: IPv4/IPv6 dual stack, DHCPv4/v6, router advertisements, routing, netfilter/iptables and QoS.
• A track record of taking features from spike to GA, with written designs that others build from.
• Fluent in Git and GitHub pull-request workflows, quilt-style patch management and Jenkins CI.