Senior Firmware Engineer

Sofar Ocean

Senior Firmware Engineer building embedded systems for Sofar’s ocean-monitoring hardware and open-source Bristlemouth connectivity stack. Designing FreeRTOS firmware, testing platforms, and deploying products in the open ocean.

Posted 8/10/2026full-timeSan Francisco • California • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $160,000 - $200,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in designing and implementing FreeRTOS firmware using C and C++, with a strong foundation in software architecture principles and experience in cross-functional collaboration. Proficient in developing automated testing tools in Python and conducting integrated system testing for embedded platforms.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Embedded C ProgrammingFreeRTOS ExperiencePython DevelopmentFirmware Team LeadershipSystems Thinking

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

C ProgrammingC++ ProgrammingFreeRTOSEmbedded Firmware DevelopmentAutomated TestingSoftware ArchitectureRadio TelemetryIPv6 NetworkingARM Cortex-M0ARM Cortex-M4

Soft Skills

Excellent CommunicationCollaboration Skills

Tools & Technologies

Bristlemouth FirmwareSpotterSmart Mooring

Industry Keywords

IoTRoboticsDronesAutomotive Products

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

IoTPython

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Design and implement efficient, maintainable FreeRTOS firmware with automated unit and integration tests in C and C++
Break down complex efforts into parallelizable work streams for the team
Implement host-side test, analysis, and automation tools in Python
Participate in code reviews, brainstorms, and whiteboard sessions
Write specifications and documentation for external users and internal colleagues
Collaborate with electrical and mechanical engineers to design, integrate, test, and debug systems
Advocate for high-leverage features and fixes in product prioritization
Execute frequent releases for proprietary and open-source Bristlemouth firmware, including test plans, installers, release notes, and release communications
Build Bristlemouth integrations for Spotter and Smart Mooring and evolve open-source Bristlemouth core APIs
Collaborate cross-functionally on features for existing platforms
Develop next-generation platforms
Conduct advanced research and experiments with emerging technologies
Perform integrated system testing and open-ocean deployments

Requirements

What you’ll need

At least 5+ years of professional embedded firmware/software experience
Prior experience as a tech lead for a firmware team
Fluent in embedded C and C++
Comfortable in Python
Experience with FreeRTOS
Experience across multiple embedded platforms
Understanding of common hardware peripherals and interfaces
Excellent communication and collaboration skills
Strong systems thinking ability
Solid foundation in software architecture principles
Experience with multiple forms of radio telemetry is a bonus
Experience with IPv6 networking is a bonus
Experience with ARM Cortex-M0, M4, and M33 cores is a bonus
Past work in IoT, robotics, drones, and/or automotive products is a bonus
SF Bay Area location or willingness to relocate
Willingness to come into the office a minimum of 3x/week

Benefits

Comp & perks

$160K–$200K base salary
Equity
Hybrid work arrangement