Firmware Engineer

Apple; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Apple is seeking a Firmware Engineer for the Accessories group in San Jose. You will architect, develop, and maintain firmware for next-generation Apple and Beats accessory products, turning concepts into world-class devices in a fast-paced environment.

You will own hardware bring-up, system integration, and cross-functional collaboration, delivering features from design to validation. Requires strong C skills, ARM Cortex-M, and hands-on hardware experience in low-power embedded systems.

Qualifications

• MS in Electrical/Computer Engineering or equivalent with strong software focus.
• 1+ year embedded firmware development for consumer hardware.
• Strong C programming skills and experience with hardware bring-up.
• Experience reading schematics and debugging chip-level functionality.
• Experience with ARM Cortex-M/R/A and low-power MCUs.
• Familiarity with I2C, SPI, UART, USB.
• Excellent collaboration across cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Drive system delivery and ensure components integrate on schedule.
• Lead hardware bring-up and validate schematics and components.
• Coordinate across engineering teams for hardware/software alignment.
• Develop software features and rapid prototypes.
• Perform testing, characterization, and validate designs; present results.

Skills

Embedded firmware

C programming

Hardware bring-up

System integration

ARM Cortex-M

I2C/SPI/UART/USB

Schematic reading

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

M.S. in Electrical Engineering

Tools

RTOS environments

Compiler toolchains

Job description

Summary

The Accessories team is seeking a highly motivated Firmware Engineer with a strong foundation in engineering principles and a deep passion for new technologies. In this role, you will be at the forefront of researching, developing, and innovating solutions for the next generation of Apple and Beats accessory products. You will play a critical role in the product development lifecycle, turning early concepts into fully realized, world-class devices. This role requires an energetic individual who thrives in a fast-paced, rapid-development environment and is ready to innovate.

Description

The Firmware Engineer will be part of a team that architect, design, develop, and maintain hardware and software systems for Accessory products. This engineer will also perform characterization, test and validation of each design; analyze results and create reports/presentations when needed. This role requires an energetic and motivated individual ready to innovate. Experience in a quick paced rapid development group is highly desired.

Key Responsibilities

• System Integration & Delivery: Driving overall system delivery and ensuring all components integrate successfully on schedule.
• Hardware Bring-Up: Taking ownership of initial hardware bring-up. When receiving new hardware for the first time, you will read schematics, validate board designs, and methodically test different chips and components to ensure they are functioning and communicating correctly.
• Cross-Functional Coordination: Coordinating seamlessly across numerous engineering teams to align hardware and software efforts.
• Software Development: Executing software feature design, development, and rapid prototyping.
• Testing & Validation: Performing characterization, testing, and validation of each design. You will analyze test results and create detailed reports or presentations to share with stakeholders.

Minimum Qualifications

• M.S. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or an equivalent field with a strong software focus.
• 1+ year of professional experience in embedded firmware development for high-volume consumer accessories or mobile hardware.
• Demonstrable coding skills with a heavy emphasis on C.
• Extensive hands‑on experience in hardware bring-up, reading schematics, and debugging chip-level functionality on new hardware builds.
• Proven experience with system integration and prototyping on low-power microcontrollers (ARM Cortex-M/R/A architectures).
• Hands-on experience with standard bus interfaces (I2C, SPI, UART, USB).
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively with multiple cross-functional groups under minimal supervision.

Preferred Qualifications

• Background in power delivery, power management, battery charging architectures, or sensor integration (accelerometers, thermal sensors).
• Familiarity with Bluetooth (BT) and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technologies, or proprietary short-range wireless protocols.
• Experience working with compiler toolchains, RTOS environments, and automated firmware test frameworks.