Firmware Engineer

As a Firmware Engineer at Normal, you will create low-level software to run on our SOC to provide an interface between our physics-inspired ASICs and higher software levels. You will have to develop code that runs on a microcontroller that provides an API layer for upper software levels to exercise our AI acceleration hardware. You will interface with the hardware and software design teams, understanding both the hardware and software architectures. You will debug in various prototyping and ASIC environments. For this role, you also have to specify and create the development environment. The through-line is your firmware expertise, applied to silicon and software stacks that compute differently from anything you have coded for before. This is a seat for a firmware engineer who wants their craft to compound rather than repeat.

What You Will Own

• Development of firmware for an embedded processor on an SOC: Create firmware to support an API that bridges higher-level software to the hardware layer.
• Work with software and hardware: Collaborate with software and hardware engineers to understand and specify the API requirements.
• Creation of the development environment: Acquire and configure appropriate tools to create the firmware, including compilers, simulators, and debuggers. Work across multiple development environments including software simulation, RTL simulation, and physical hardware.
• Verification of the firmware to a production level: Develop a verification and stress test plan and environment to guarantee production quality of the firmware

Computer Firmware, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Semiconductors, Problem Solving Skills, Microcontroller, Prototyping, Software Architecture, ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), Physics, Software Design, * 5+ years of experience in firmware development

• Specification and creation of a firmware development environment for a shipping product
• Expertise in various firmware languages and target architectures
• Excellent written and spoken communication skills

Bonus Points

• RISC-V experience
• FPGA and In-circuit debug
• Experience with AI acceleration hardware
• Hands-on use of LLMs or agentic tools in development workflows