Embedded Systems Engineer

Formulate Robotics; Mountain View (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

In-person collaboration

High-autonomy environment

Ownership over firmware

Job summary

Formulate Robotics in California is seeking an Embedded Systems Engineer to build low-level software for robotics-driven manufacturing. You will work at the hardware-cloud boundary, writing firmware for controllers, interfacing with sensors, actuators, and industrial peripherals, and ensuring safe, deterministic operation.

The role collaborates with hardware, controls, AI, and cloud engineers to define clean interfaces and robust, production-ready systems.

Qualifications

• 3+ years of experience developing embedded systems or firmware in production environments.
• Proficiency in C/C++ or Rust for embedded systems.
• Experience with microcontrollers, SBCs, or industrial controllers.
• Understanding of real-time constraints, interrupt-driven systems, and hardware interfacing.
• Comfortable debugging hardware/software integration issues.
• Strong systems thinking with focus on safety and reliability.
• Active use of modern AI tools to accelerate development.

Responsibilities

• Develop firmware and embedded software for robotics-driven manufacturing systems.
• Implement communication protocols between devices and cloud services (e.g., serial, CAN, RS-485, Ethernet).
• Interface with sensors, motors, load cells, heaters, and industrial components.
• Design fault detection, safety logic, and real-time control routines.
• Optimize performance for timing, reliability, and resource constraints.
• Collaborate with hardware engineers on board bring-up, testing, and validation.
• Work with cloud engineers to define device-to-cloud APIs and telemetry pipelines.
• Build tools for debugging, diagnostics, and field support.
• Continuously improve system robustness through testing and real-world feedback.

Skills

Embedded systems

C/C++

Rust

Real-time systems

Debugging hardware/software

Job description

About The Role

As an Embedded Systems Engineer, you'll build the low-level software and firmware that connects intelligence to physical systems. You will work at the boundary between hardware and cloud - writing the code that runs on controllers, interfaces with sensors and actuators, and enables reliable, real-time operation of our Gen 3 manufacturing platform.

About The Role

As an Embedded Systems Engineer, you'll build the low-level software and firmware that connects intelligence to physical systems. You will work at the boundary between hardware and cloud - writing the code that runs on controllers, interfaces with sensors and actuators, and enables reliable, real-time operation of our Gen 3 manufacturing platform. Our systems control motors, pumps, valves, load cells, heaters, safety interlocks, and industrial peripherals. This role is about building robust firmware and device-layer systems that are safe, deterministic, and production-ready -- not hobby prototypes. You'll collaborate closely with hardware, controls, AI, and cloud engineers to define clean interfaces between embedded devices and higher-level orchestration systems. This is a full-time role based in California, with in-person collaboration expected in our Mountain View office.

What You’ll Do

• Develop firmware and embedded software for robotics-driven manufacturing systems.
• Implement communication protocols between devices and cloud services (e.g., serial, CAN, RS-485, Ethernet, etc.).
• Interface with sensors, motors, load cells, heaters, and industrial components.
• Design fault detection, safety logic, and real-time control routines.
• Optimize performance for timing, reliability, and resource constraints.
• Collaborate with hardware engineers on board bring-up, testing, and validation.
• Work with cloud engineers to define device-to-cloud APIs and telemetry pipelines.
• Build tools for debugging, diagnostics, and field support.
• Continuously improve system robustness through testing and real-world feedback.

What We’re Looking For

• 3+ years of experience developing embedded systems or firmware in production environments.
• Strong proficiency in C/C++ or Rust for embedded systems.
• Experience working with microcontrollers, SBCs, or industrial controllers.
• Understanding of real-time constraints, interrupt-driven systems, and hardware interfacing.
• Comfortable debugging hardware/software integration issues.
• Strong systems thinking -- you understand failure modes and safety considerations.
• High agency and bias toward action in fast-moving environments.
• Actively leverages modern AI tools to accelerate development and troubleshooting.
• Nice-to-haves: motor control, PID systems, industrial automation, Linux-based embedded systems, device provisioning at scale.

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation with equity.
• Ownership over core firmware powering real-world robotic systems.
• Opportunity to work at the intersection of robotics, AI, and physical manufacturing.
• In-person collaboration with a small, ambitious engineering team.
• A high-autonomy environment built for scrappy builders.