TL;DR - We're building humanity's defense layer for the AI age and are looking for a Firmware Engineer to build systems that operate in real environments and survive contact with reality.If you would have joined Nest before connected devices became commonplace-or Figure AI before humanoids left the lab-to build the firmware that made them trustworthy, this is that role.
What makes this role special?- One of the first 10 engineers shaping hardware systems pre-Series A.
- Own firmware that leaves the lab and operates in some of the world's highest-stakes environments.
- Work directly with the hardware lead across EE, firmware, and embedded systems.
- Operate in environments where hardware decisions have immediate consequences.
- Partner with RF, ML, and product teams to deliver integrated systems.
- Define the trust boundary between hardware and software.
What we're looking for...- 3-6 years writing systems-level firmware for embedded targets with real depth, not glue code on top of HALs
- Strong command of C with the ability to adopt new systems languages (Rust, Zig, C++) when appropriate.
- Proven background in red teaming, offensive security research, or adversarial testing targeting embedded systems and physical hardware.
- Reasons about trust boundaries, failure modes, and adversarial inputs before they become vulnerabilities.
- Thrived in an early-stage startup.
- Comfortable operating without perfect specs or complete information.
- U.S. Person status required (may involve export-controlled data).
Bonus if you've...- Shipped firmware on microcontrollers and OS-based embedded systems.
- Written firmware for systems with secure boot, verified OTA, or hardware-enforced trust boundaries
- Done RF/SDR-adjacent work or integrated wireless radios at the firmware layer
- Maintained embedded Linux systems (custom rootfs, systemd services, power management)
- Held a security certification or contributed to a CVE, hardware CTF, or published security research.
What you'll do...- Own firmware across RTOS, embedded Linux, wireless radios, GPS, and custom embedded hardware.
- Write and maintain system daemons and firmware modules with strict fault isolation
- Own secure boot and verified firmware update pipelines end-to-end
- Conduct adversarial review of firmware attack surfaces (e.g. USB, BLE, UART, OTA) and close what you find
- Partner with RF and ML teams on high-throughput signal capture and real-time processing pipelines.
- Build and maintain hardware validation tooling; reduce bring-up friction on every successive board spin.
How we select...- Short application
- 20-minute intro call
- Technical deep-dive
- Practical problem discussion
- References and offer
Final facts.Base salary up to $220,000 depending on qualifications, experience, and impact. Total compensation includes equity, premium insurance, 401(k), flexible PTO, and other individual benefits.
You'll join us on-site at our HQ in New York City with occasional domestic and global deployments.
Apply. Make history. Build humanity's defense against machines. 
