Embedded Software Engineer

My client is building the world's first general-purpose robotic intelligence — an omnibodied AI brain that can be deployed into any hardware platform, from humanoid robots to warehouse automation systems to quadrupeds. The company operates at the intersection of massive-scale machine learning and physical robotics, believing that data-driven AI is the key to unlocking robust robotic intelligence that adapts to unseen scenarios without failing. Their customers include major technology companies like Amazon and NVIDIA, who integrate the brain into their own hardware platforms. With over $1.8 billion in funding from world-class investors including SoftBank, Sequoia Capital, NVIDIA, Bezos Expeditions, and Samsung, they have grown from a 12-person team to nearly 200 employees in under two years while fostering a fast-paced, high-ownership startup culture where team members work directly with founders and have outsized impact. We are looking for a Firmware / Embedded Systems Engineer with 3+ years of experience to develop and optimize firmware for BLDC motor control and real-time embedded systems powering the world's first general-purpose robotic intelligence. You'll work at the cutting edge of embodied AI, building the low-level software that brings robots to life across diverse hardware platforms. What will you be doing? Developing firmware for microcontrollers and embedded Linux environments, with a focus on BLDC motor control (FOC, PWM, current/position control) Designing, debugging, and integrating low-level communication protocols (RS-485, CAN, UART, SPI) Implementing and maintaining real-time systems using RTOS (FreeRTOS, RT Linux, VxWorks) Collaborating with hardware engineers to bring up new PCBAs and integrate them into electromechanical systems Integrating firmware into higher-level frameworks such as ROS/DDS for seamless robot communication Key Requirements Bachelor's or Master's in Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or Mechatronics Hands-on experience in firmware development for robotics, motor control, or embedded systems Expertise in BLDC motor control including FOC and PWM techniques Proficiency in C/C++ for embedded systems and familiarity with debugging tools Experience with real-time embedded systems (FreeRTOS, RT Linux) and low-level communication protocols (CAN, SPI, RS-485) Why candidates should join $1.8B+ in funding from SoftBank, Sequoia Capital, NVIDIA, Bezos Expeditions, and Samsung — one of the best-capitalized robotics AI companies in the world. Building the world's first general-purpose robotic brain — a platform-agnostic foundation model that deploys into any hardware (humanoids, quadrupeds, warehouse bots). Customers already include Amazon and NVIDIA. Explosive growth: went from 12 people to ~200 in under two years. Founded by CMU robotics PhDs with deep domain expertise. Comp range of $200K–$300K base salary for this role. On-site in San Mateo with a high-ownership startup culture where you work directly with founders. Strategic acquisitions give the team real hardware to deploy their AI on — this isn't a research-only shop. You'll see your firmware running on physical robots.