Hardware Firmware Engineer

Socket.dev; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 105,000 - 162,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision

Job summary

Socket.dev is seeking a Hardware Firmware Engineer to design, develop, and integrate firmware with hardware for complex products. You will work with cross‑functional teams, suppliers, and ODM partners to drive bring‑up, validation, and platform integration.

The role emphasizes firmware architecture, silicon enablement, and system‑level design with a focus on execution, problem solving, and ownership under guidance from senior engineers.

Qualifications

• Hands-on firmware and embedded systems development experience.
• Understanding of hardware–firmware interaction and board-level design.
• Familiarity with firmware development tools and debuggers.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to hardware and firmware design and development activities for complex products and platforms, including coding, debugging, testing, and integration.
• Implement firmware features and enhancements, ensuring correct interaction between hardware, firmware, BIOS, and system software.
• Support platform bring‑up, validation, and issue triage during development and sustaining phases.
• Assist senior engineers in evaluating new silicon components, firmware technologies, and design approaches.
• Participate in architecture discussions and provide input based on implementation experience and system understanding.
• Develop targeted proof‑of‑concept (POC) firmware or hardware modifications to validate design concepts or new technologies.
• Create and maintain technical documentation, including design notes, interface descriptions, bring‑up guides, and firmware configuration details.
• Support testing, root‑cause analysis, and defect resolution to ensure firmware quality, stability, and performance.
• Follow established engineering processes, coding standards, and quality practices.
• Collaborate with hardware, firmware, software, validation, and manufacturing teams to support engineering execution and integration.
• Work with internal teams and external development partners (suppliers, ODMs) on assigned tasks under guidance.
• Communicate technical status, risks, and issues clearly to project leads and stakeholders.
• Actively participate as a team player while managing multiple tasks or projects in parallel.
• Demonstrate a growth mindset by continuously expanding technical depth in firmware, embedded systems, and platform engineering.
• Learn from senior engineers and progressively take on increased technical ownership.
• May provide informal guidance to interns or newer team members as experience grows.

Skills

Firmware development

Embedded systems

Debugging

C/C++ programming

Hardware–software interaction

English communication

Education

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science

Master of Science in EE/CS (Preferred)

Tools

Firmware debugging tools

Oscilloscopes

Job description

Hardware Firmware Engineer

Description -

Hardware Firmware Engineer
Applies solid technical expertise to contribute to the design, development, and integration of hardware and firmware solutions for complex products and platforms. This role focuses on execution, technical problem‑solving, and subsystem ownership, working under general direction from senior engineers and architects.

The engineer collaborates closely with cross‑functional teams, suppliers, and ODM partners to support engineering development, bring‑up, and integration activities, while building deeper expertise in firmware architecture, silicon enablement, and system‑level design.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to hardware and firmware design and development activities for complex products and platforms, including coding, debugging, testing, and integration.
• Implement firmware features and enhancements, ensuring correct interaction between hardware, firmware, BIOS, and system software.
• Support platform bring‑up, validation, and issue triage during development and sustaining phases.

• Assist senior engineers in evaluating new silicon components, firmware technologies, and design approaches.
• Participate in architecture discussions and provide input based on implementation experience and system understanding.
• Develop targeted proof‑of‑concept (POC) firmware or hardware modifications to validate design concepts or new technologies.

• Create and maintain technical documentation, including design notes, interface descriptions, bring‑up guides, and firmware configuration details.
• Support testing, root‑cause analysis, and defect resolution to ensure firmware quality, stability, and performance.
• Follow established engineering processes, coding standards, and quality practices.

• Collaborate with hardware, firmware, software, validation, and manufacturing teams to support engineering execution and integration.
• Work with internal teams and external development partners (suppliers, ODMs) on assigned tasks under guidance.
• Communicate technical status, risks, and issues clearly to project leads and stakeholders.
• Actively participate as a team player while managing multiple tasks or projects in parallel.

• Demonstrate a growth mindset by continuously expanding technical depth in firmware, embedded systems, and platform engineering.
• Learn from senior engineers and progressively take on increased technical ownership.
• May provide informal guidance to interns or newer team members as experience grows.

Education & Experience Recommended

• Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering (EE) Computer Science (CS) or similar field, Master of Science in EE or CS (Preferred)
• 4-7 years of experience in hardware, firmware, embedded systems, or platform development

Knowledge & Skills

• Hands‑on experience with firmware and embedded systems development
• Understanding of hardware–firmware interaction, including board‑level design considerations
• Familiarity with firmware development tools, debuggers, and programming languages
• Exposure to system architecture concepts and silicon enablement
• Strong analytical, debugging, and problem‑solving skills
• Ability to adapt to fast‑paced development environments and evolving requirements
• Clear written and verbal communication skills in English (additional local language skills a plus)
• Ability to explain technical concepts and implementation choices to peers and leads

The pay range for this role is$105,050to$161,800USD annually with additional opportunities for pay in the form of bonus and/or equity (applies to United States of America candidates only). Pay varies by work location, job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience.

Benefits:

HP offers a comprehensive benefits package for this position, including:

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision