Embedded Engineer

Applied Methods Ltd; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Applied Methods Ltd is seeking an Embedded Engineer to drive firmware architecture for data-collect devices in a hands-on role in San Francisco. You will work with hardware, software, and research teams to ship robust embedded systems.

The role emphasizes embedded Linux bring-up, sensor drivers, and power optimization for real-time processing on battery-powered devices.

Qualifications

• BS/MS in CS, EE or related field with hands-on embedded work.
• Strong C++ and Python experience for firmware tooling.
• Experience with embedded hardware interfaces (SPI/I2C/UART/USB).
• Ability to design, implement and debug firmware on devices.

Responsibilities

• Drive architecture and implementation of embedded firmware for devices.
• Collaborate with hardware and software teams for data pipelines.
• Lead embedded Linux bring-up, drivers and kernel tuning.
• Optimize power for battery-operated devices and real-time processing.

Skills

Firmware development

C++

Python

Bash scripting

System architecture

Debugging

Communication

Education

BS/MS in CS or EE

Tools

SPI

I2C

UART

USB

Embedded Linux

Kernel debugging

Job description

# Embedded EngineerMid levelSoftware EngineeringSan FranciscoOn-SiteFull-TimePosted 2 days ago## About the rolePhysical Intelligence is bringing general-purpose AI into the physical world. We are a team of engineers, scientists, roboticists, and company builders developing foundation models and learning algorithms to power the robots of today and the physically-actuated devices of the future.**The team**This role is part of the Runtime team, but will include deep collaboration with the Research, Hardware, and Fleet teams.**In this role you will:*** Drive the architecture and implementation of embedded firmware for devices crucial to PI’s data collection goals* Work with hardware and software teams to ensure the new devices we are building work seamlessly with existing and future data pipelines* Embedded Linux System Bring-up: Lead the integration of embedded Linux devices with real-time sensor processing. This includes developing drivers for high-speed sensors, BSP development and customization, kernel configuration and debugging, hardware bring-up, and performance tuning across the hardware/software boundary.* Hardware/Software Debugging: Use hardware abstraction tools and laboratory equipment to identify and resolve complex timing issues, race conditions, and hardware-software interface bugs.* Power Optimization: Analyze and reduce power consumption for battery-operated devices, including on radio sleep states and sensor low-power modes.**What we hope you'll bring:*** BS/MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field.* Strong software engineering and infrastructure skills, including building data pipelines, evaluation frameworks, and tools for rapid iteration.* Comfort working hands-on with hardware.* Strong communication skills for collaborating with hardware, software, and research teams* Demonstrated experience leading initiatives from concept to production on aggressive schedules, and turning ambiguous product goals into functional requirements* Experience leading initial board bring-up and software design for first-of-their-kind embedded devices.* Hands-on experience with SPI, I2C, UART, USB, and the ability to debug complex hardware-software interactions.* Experience architecting, implementing and debugging concurrent and multithreaded firmware services* Deep understanding of modern operating systems, computer architecture, and trade-offs between compute, memory, and storage.* Experience bringing up and integrating sensors on embedded systems; camera system bring-up, integration, and tuning is a plus.* Proficiency in C++* Familiarity with Bash scripting and Python for tooling and automation.**Bonus points if you have:*** Nice to have: Direct experience with Linux Kernel development, including writing or debugging drivers, managing device trees, or optimizing kernel-space performance.*Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.*