Senior Principal Engineer – Wireless AP Software Development

SonicWall is a cybersecurity forerunner with more than 30 years of expertise and is recognized as a leading partner-first company, ensuring our partners and their customers are never alone in the fight against cybercrime. With the ability to build, scale and manage security across the cloud, hybrid and traditional environments in real-time, SonicWall provides relentless security against the most evasive cyberattacks across endless exposure points for increasingly remote, mobile and cloud-enabled users. With its own threat research center, SonicWall can quickly and economically provide purpose-built security solutions to enable any organization—enterprise, government agencies and SMBs—around the world. For more information, visit www.sonicwall.com or follow us on Twitter , LinkedIn , Facebook and Instagram . Role Overview We are seeking a highly skilled and visionary Architect to lead the architecture, design, and development of our next-generation Enterprise Wireless Access Point (AP) solutions. In this role, you will define the software architecture for state-of-the-art Wi-Fi 6, 6E, and Wi-Fi 7 access points. You will bridge the gap between low-level silicon firmware and high-level cloud management platforms, ensuring our APs deliver enterprise-grade performance, seamless roaming, high security, and cloud-driven scalability. If you have deep expertise in embedded Linux, 802.11 protocols, and cloud-managed networking, we want you on our team. Key Responsibilities Technical Leadership & Architecture End-to-End Architecture: Own the software architecture, design, and delivery of advanced Wi-Fi features from silicon SDK integration up to cloud-managed provisioning systems. Enterprise Wi-Fi Evolution: Design and develop advanced features utilizing Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E, and Wi-Fi 7 standards to deliver enterprise-grade performance. Advanced Wireless Feature Design: Architect and implement high-value wireless application features including Wi-Fi Mesh, Neighbor Awareness Networking (NAN), Fine Timing Measurement/Locationing (IEEE 802.11mc/az) , and advanced enterprise roaming ( 802.11k/v/r ). Ecosystem Collaboration: Partner closely with leading Wi-Fi chipset vendors for SDK integration, firmware customization, performance tuning, and hardware platform enablement. Edge-to-Cloud Integration Cloud-Managed Infrastructure: Design, optimize, and deliver cloud-managed and firewall-managed capabilities including Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP), remote configuration, real-time monitoring, and centralized control. Network & Security Orchestration: Ensure seamless data path orchestration between the AP firmware, local security firewalls, and cloud management dashboards. Qualifications & Skills Must-Have Technical Expertise Wireless Domain Mastery: Strong Wi-Fi Access Point product development experience with a deep understanding of IEEE 802.11 standards (a/b/g/n/ac/ax/be) and wireless security protocols (WPA2/WPA3 Enterprise). Advanced Protocol Experience: Hands-on experience developing core firmware/wireless applications for Wi-Fi Mesh, NAN, 802.11mc, 802.11az , and seamless roaming ( 802.11k, 802.11v, 802.11r ). Embedded Software Engineering: Expert knowledge of Embedded Linux , Linux kernel internals, device drivers, hostapd, wpa_supplicant, and system-level debugging. Language Proficiency: Strong proficiency in C/C++ development for resource-constrained embedded networking platforms. Networking Core: Strong networking background including TCP/IP, routing, switching, VLANs, QoS, and enterprise network protocols. Network Security: Practical knowledge of network security integrations such as firewall systems, IDS/IPS, threat detection, and policy enforcement at the AP level. Good-to-Have (Preferred) Qualifications Advanced Security & Data Path: Knowledge of Deep Packet Inspection (DPI), malware detection, sandboxing, and Software-Defined Networking (SDN) in large-scale wireless deployments. Cloud & DevOps: Direct experience with cloud-managed net…