Senior Firmware Engineer

Back by top-tier venture capital, our lean, high-caliber engineering team (~15 people) is composed of alumni from leading aerospace, defense, and hardware pioneers. We are seeking an exceptional Senior Firmware Engineer to serve as our second dedicated firmware hire in a zero-to-one seat at the center of our hardware-to-cloud ecosystem., In this high-ownership role, you will architect, build, and maintain firmware across bare-metal microcontrollers and embedded Linux systems designed for continuous, autonomous operation in harsh maritime environments. You will collaborate closely with electrical, hardware, and cloud engineering teams to bring up new PCBAs, optimize boot flows, and ensure reliable edge-to-cloud sensor data pipelines., * Firmware Architecture & Ownership: Lead the design, continuous evolution, and deployment of firmware across bare-metal MCUs, RTOS, and embedded Linux platforms.

• Full-Stack Embedded Development: Write high-performance, production-grade C/C++ code, handle low-level board bring-up, configure bootloaders (U-Boot), write custom kernel drivers, and optimize boot sequences.
• Hardware Debugging & Integration: Work alongside electrical engineers to bring up new custom PCBAs and troubleshoot hardware-level issues using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and digital multimeters.
• Edge-to-Cloud Data Pipeline: Partner with cloud/data platform teams to format, ingest, and reliably backhaul high-volume acoustic and environmental sensor telemetry over satellite communications.
• Production-Grade Reliability: Implement rigorous security standards, establish automated CI/CD firmware build pipelines, and ensure maximum uptime for long-duration, unattended deployments at sea.

• Core Firmware Expertise: 4 to 7+ years of professional embedded/firmware engineering experience writing clean, production-ready C and C++.
• Microcontroller Mastery: Proven hands-on experience developing for bare-metal and RTOS-based MCU architectures.
• Hardware Debugging Skills: Direct experience using bench-top hardware debugging tools (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, multimeters).
• Work Authorization: US Citizenship is strictly required due to defense contract security guidelines.
• On-Site Presence: Willingness to work in-office 5 days a week in Torrance, CA (Relocation assistance available for top candidates).

Strong Pluses

• Hands-on exposure to embedded Linux (U-Boot, custom kernel driver development, device trees, Yocto, or Buildroot).
• Prior experience developing software for safety-critical systems within aerospace, defense, autonomous systems, or maritime technology.
• Familiarity with FPGA development (Verilog/VHDL) or digital signal processing (DSP).
• Personal hardware or firmware side projects (tinkerers and builders are highly valued!).

Mindset & Team Fit

• High Autonomy & Ownership: Thrives in a fast-paced, zero-to-one startup setting where you take complete end-to-end accountability for technical outcomes.
• Firmware Generalist: Broad architectural adaptability across different microprocessors, platforms, and low-level system paradigms.
• Low Ego & High Candor: Constructive approach to code reviews, technical debate, and rapid iteration.

Pulled from the full job description

• 401(k)
• Health insurance
• 401(k) matching
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance
• Dental insurance
• Relocation assistance, * Competitive base salary with an impactful early-stage equity package.
• Comprehensive Health, Dental, and Vision coverage.
• 401(k) Retirement Plan.
• Flexible PTO policy and paid company holidays.
• Daily catered lunches, drinks, and snacks provided at the Torrance office.

Pay: $240,000.00 - $300,000.00 per year, * 401(k)

• 401(k) matching
• Relocation assistance

We are a fast-growing, seed-stage defense and maritime technology startup building next-generation, AI-powered passive acoustic sensing networks. Our core technology utilizes autonomous smart buoys equipped with solar power systems, satellite backhaul, and advanced hydrophone arrays to detect, localize, and track surface and subsurface vessels in real time across critical oceanic environments.