Embedded Engineer, Hardware (Autonomous Vehicle Team)

Foundation; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Foundation is building the autonomous, crewless ATV for all-terrain use, designed for commercial and defense work to save lives.

We welcome extraordinary engineers and scientists; robotics experience is not prerequisite—talent and determination matter.

Lead bring-up of embedded compute platforms, develop drivers, and integrate sensors as the vehicle moves from bench to prototype.

Qualifications

• 4-5 years of embedded systems development in vehicles or robotics.
• Strong C/C++ and Python skills; experience with Linux (Yocto, Ubuntu Core).
• Experience integrating third-party SDKs for sensors or compute.
• Knowledge of vehicle/robotics comms stacks (CAN, DDS, ROS2).
• Comfort across hardware/software boundaries in bench and integration settings.
• Experience with Git, CI/CD, and modern embedded dev workflows.

Responsibilities

• Lead bring-up of embedded compute platforms (MCUs, VCU, SBCs running Linux).
• Set up operating systems, toolchains, and integrated development kits (IDKs) for major components.
• Develop low-level drivers and middleware to interface with sensors, actuators, and vehicle subsystems.
• Own integration of sensor SDKs and communication protocols (CAN, Ethernet, serial).
• Build test harnesses and simulation tools for bench testing prior to vehicle integration.
• Work closely with Perception/Planning engineers to provide stable, performant interfaces to hardware.
• Support system bring-up during vehicle assembly; debug software-hardware integration issues.
• Contribute to safety-critical software practices (fault handling, watchdogs, power management).

Skills

C/C++

Python

Linux

Yocto/Ubuntu Core

Embedded systems

CAN

DDS/ROS2

Git

CI/CD

Education

BS/MS in Computer Engineering or Electrical Engineering or related field

Job description

Foundation is developing the future of general purpose robotics andelectric mobilitywith the goal to save lives and augment human labor.

Our mission is to create an autonomous, crewless ATV built to be truly all-terrain. Designed for commercial and defense use, it can save lives and take on heavy transport across mining, agriculture, construction, and more.

We are on the lookout for extraordinary engineers and scientists to join our team. Your previous experience in robotics isn't a prerequisite — it's your talent and determination that truly count.

We expect that many of our team members will bring diverse perspectives from various industries and fields. We are looking for individuals with a proven record of exceptional ability and a history of creating things that work.

Our Culture:

We like to be frank and honest about who we are, so that people can decide for themselves if this is a culture they resonate with. Please read more about our culture here https://foundation.bot/culture.

Who should join:

• You like working in person with a team in San Francisco.
• You deeply believe that this is the most important mission for humanity and needs to happen yesterday.
• You are highly technical - regardless of the role you are in. We are building technology; you need to understand technology well.
• You care about aesthetics and design inside out. If it's not the best product ever, it bothers you, and you need to “fix” it.
• You don't need someone to motivate you; you get things done.

Why We Are Hiring for This Role:

• Lead bring-up of embedded compute platforms (MCUs, VCU, SBCs running Linux).
• Set up operating systems, toolchains, and integrated development kits (IDKs) for major components
• Develop low-level drivers and middleware to interface with sensors, actuators, and vehicle subsystems.
• Own integration of sensor SDKs and communication protocols (CAN, Ethernet, serial).
• Build test harnesses and simulation tools for bench testing prior to vehicle integration.
• Work closely with Perception/Planning engineers to provide stable, performant interfaces to hardware.
• Support system bring-up during vehicle assembly; debug software-hardware integration issues.
• Contribute to safety-critical software practices (fault handling, watchdogs, power management).

What Kind of Person We Are Looking For:

• 4-5 years of experience in embedded systems development in vehicles or robotics.
• Strong C/C++ and Python skills; experience with Linux (Yocto, Ubuntu Core, or similar).
• Experience integrating third-party SDKs for sensors, compute, or accelerators.
• Knowledge of vehicle or robotics comms stacks (CAN, DDS, ROS2, or equivalent).
• Comfortable working across hardware/software boundaries in bench and integration settings.
• Experience with version control (Git), CI/CD, and modern embedded dev workflows.
• BS/MS in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field.

We provide market standard benefits (health, vision, dental, 401k, etc.). Join us for the culture and the mission, not for the benefits.

The annual compensation is expected to be between $200-300k. Exact compensation may vary based on skills, experience, and location.