Senior SSD System Test Engineer – Linux Environment

Company Overview

Virtium is a trusted leader in the design and manufacturing of high-reliability industrial modular hardware solutions that enable embedded computing system manufacturers to get to market more quickly with lower development risk, and to benefit from a streamlined supply chain. Virtium's products include computer systems-on-module (SOMs), AI SOMs with on-board AI accelerator hardware, industrial-grade SSDs, industrial-grade DDR memory modules and wireless connectivity modules. With over 25 years of experience, Virtium has earned a reputation for delivering high-quality products that meet the demanding requirements of global customers in industries such as networking, telecommunications, aerospace and defense, industrial OEMs, and embedded markets. Virtium’s commitment to innovation, long-term product availability, and customer support has made it a preferred partner for companies requiring mission-critical Edge AI system solutions.

Position Summary

We are seeking a hands-on Senior SSD System Test Engineer for Linux environments to join our storage validation and system integration team. The ideal candidate brings strong experience in Linux, SSD, and NVMe, along with hands-on SSD validation, low-level debugging, and issue resolution in Linux-based environments. This role is focused on enterprise SSD system test, failure analysis, root-cause debugging, and automation across hardware, firmware, and software layers. This is not a general software QA role.

This position reports to the Sr. Director of Engineering and is a full-time onsite role, Monday through Friday, based in Rancho Santa Margarita, CA. Travel is not required, and a relocation package is not available at this time.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, execute, and maintain system-level test plans for enterprise NVMe SSD products in Linux environments.
• Perform system validation and qualification testing for PCIe/NVMe SSDs across Linux-based server and client platforms.
• Debug SSD issues involving Linux kernel, device drivers, PCIe stack, NVMe protocol, and storage subsystems.
• Analyze and resolve system crashes, kernel panics, I/O failures, performance degradation, timeout issues, and data integrity problems.
• Drive deeper root-cause analysis and support issue closure for customer and internal SSD-related problems in Linux environments.
• Work closely with firmware, hardware, kernel, and platform teams to isolate, root-cause, and resolve complex cross-layer issues.
• Develop and enhance automated test frameworks and scripts for regression, stress, endurance, and reliability testing.
• Use Linux debugging and tracing tools such as dmesg, ftrace, blktrace, perf, iostat, nvme-cli, smartctl, and kernel logs.
• Validate SSD functionality including power management, thermal behavior, endurance, error recovery, hot-plug, and PCIe link stability.
• Perform interoperability testing across Linux distributions, kernels, servers, and storage platforms.
• Create detailed test reports, bug tracking documentation, and validation summaries.

Required Qualifications

• 5–10 years of experience in SSD system validation, enterprise SSD testing, or Linux storage testing.
• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer engineering, electrical engineering, computer science, or a related engineering field.
• Hands-on experience debugging SSD issues in Linux environments.
• Strong experience with Linux-based SSD validation and system-level testing.
• Strong understanding of NVMe architecture and command sets.
• Strong understanding of PCIe protocol and link behavior.
• Strong understanding of Linux storage stack, block layer, and Linux kernel fundamentals.
• Experience with Linux tools and utilities for storage, tracing, and performance analysis.
• Experience analyzing kernel logs, crash dumps, and low-level hardware/software interactions.
• Strong scripting or programming skills in Python, Bash, or similar languages.
• Familiarity with test automation and continuous integration environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with enterprise SSD validation and qualification.
• Deep familiarity with enterprise SSD behavior, system qualification, and customer-driven debug scenarios.
• Familiarity with kernel driver development or kernel debugging.
• Experience with storage performance tools such as fio, vdbench, or iozone.
• Understanding of power management states, PCIe error handling, and firmware validation.
• Knowledge of SATA/SAS storage protocols is a plus.
• Experience with server platforms from Intel, AMD, or ARM architectures.

Technical Skills

• NVMe SSD validation
• PCIe Gen4/Gen5 testing
• Linux kernel debugging
• Storage subsystem analysis
• SSD firmware interaction
• System stress and reliability testing
• Automation framework development

Additional Information:

• Location: Rancho Santa Margarita, CA onsite full-time Monday to Friday
• Department: Engineering
• Compensation Range: starting salary $120,000+, based on experience, etc.
• Reports to: Sr. Director of Engineering

Equal Opportunity Statement

• Virtium is committed to diversity and inclusivity in the workplace.

Pay: From $120,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Professional development assistance
• Retirement plan
• Tuition reimbursement

Application Question(s):

• Will you now or in the future require sponsorship for employment visa status (e.g., H1B visa sponsorship)?
• We are open to local candidates at this time as a relocation package is not included for this role. Do you live in the Orange County, CA area?

Language:

• English (Required)
• Vietnamese (Preferred)

Ability to Commute:

• Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688 (Required)

Work Location: In person