Head of Embedded Software

peakenergy; Burlingame (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Peak Energy in Burlingame, California, is seeking a Head of Embedded Software to lead the firmware team for our gigawatt-scale sodium-ion energy storage systems.

This hands-on leadership role will set the technical direction, own the firmware roadmap end-to-end, and drive safety-critical code paths, hardware bring-up, and cross-functional collaboration. You’ll manage a team of ~6 engineers and shape the culture of engineering rigor as production scales toward 2027.

Qualifications

• 10-15+ years of hands-on embedded software experience.
• Deep expertise in real-time embedded firmware (C++, RTOS).
• Experience shipping multiple hardware products from prototype to production.
• 2+ years of people management experience.
• Strong debugging with oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and debuggers.

Responsibilities

• Set technical direction and architecture for the embedded stack across the ESS platform.
• Contribute hands-on firmware for real-time C++ RTOS-based systems.
• Own architectural and safety-case decisions for embedded domain.
• Lead code reviews and establish coding standards.
• Drive hardware bring-up, integration, validation, and field support with the team.
• Manage a team of ~6 engineers, hiring, onboarding, and growth.
• Establish standups, planning, retros, on-call rotation, and technical decision reviews.
• Plan to hire 2-3 more engineers in the next 12 months.

Skills

Embedded software

Real-time firmware

C++

RTOS

Safety-critical systems

Hardware bring-up

People management

System architecture

Tools

Oscilloscopes

Logic analyzers

Debuggers

Job description

Head of Embedded Software

Burlingame, California

Full-time

Reports to CTO

About the Company

Peak Energy is the first American venture to advance globally proven sodium-ion battery systems as the storage standard for the new era of renewable energy on a resilient grid.

Sodium-ion is cheap, readily available, and safe - making it the leading contender in a rapidly evolving market.

Our leadership team is powered by decades of expertise in scaling gigawatt-level innovation at world-class companies such as Tesla, Northvolt, Apple, Powin, Enovix, Zipline, Solid Power, and Fluence. We are backed by strategic investment and product partners including TDK Ventures, Eclipse Ventures, and GM Ventures.

We are a team of engineers, operators, entrepreneurs, and partners driven by a shared ambition to set the new performance standard for renewable energy and grid resilience.

About the Role

Peak Energy is looking for a Head of Embedded Software to lead the team building the firmware that runs our gigawatt-scale sodium-ion energy storage systems. This is a hands‑on leadership role - you'll manage a team of ~6 embedded and firmware engineers while continuing to contribute directly to critical firmware architecture, safety‑critical code paths, and hardware bring‑up.

This is a player‑coach role by design. Strong embedded engineering ability is the most important qualification - you need to be someone your team learns from technically, not just someone who runs their calendar. You'll set the technical direction for our embedded stack, own the firmware roadmap end‑to‑end, and be the person the CTO turns to when there's a hard technical call to make on the embedded side of the ESS platform.

You'll also own the team: hiring, coaching, career growth, and building a culture of engineering rigor. As Peak scales toward Q1 2027 production at our Sacramento factory, the embedded team's output is directly on the critical path - this is a role with real stakes and real ownership.

We're open on title and level based on candidate strengths - this role can flex from Principal Embedded Engineer + Team Lead through Director, depending on who we meet. Strong embedded engineering skills are non‑negotiable; leadership scope will flex to fit.

What You’ll Do - Technical (Player)

• Set the technical direction and architecture for Peak’s embedded software stack across the ESS platform.
• Contribute hands‑on to critical firmware code - real‑time C++ RTOS‑based systems targeting microcontrollers, safety‑critical BMS logic, and supervisory control.
• Own the toughest technical calls: architectural choices, safety‑case design, RTOS selection, hardware interface design, real‑time performance.
• Lead code reviews on high‑risk paths; set the coding standards, review process, and development practices the team operates under.
• Drive hardware bring‑up, system integration, validation, and field‑support engineering alongside your team.
• Represent embedded software in cross‑functional forums with electrical, systems, controls, and hardware teams. Push back where the design won’t work; propose better alternatives.
• Stay in the code enough that your team respects your judgment. Rough target: ~30-50% IC time.

What You’ll Do - Leadership (Coach)

• Manage a team of ~6 embedded and firmware engineers, including Senior Staff and Staff‑level ICs. Own hiring, onboarding, performance, and career growth.
• Set the team’s roadmap and delivery cadence. Break the work down, sequence it, and track it - including the tough tradeoffs when priorities shift.
• Build the operating rhythm: standups, sprint planning, retros, on‑call rotation, technical decision reviews.
• Grow the team by ~2-3 more hires over the next 12 months. Own the hiring bar and the intake process.
• Coach individual engineers on career growth, tough feedback conversations, and the day‑to‑day work of getting better.
• Represent the team’s work and its constraints to engineering leadership, product, and cross‑functional stakeholders.
• Live Peak’s values in how you lead - speed through focus, mission over self, face the brutal truth, be a good person.

What You’ll Bring - Required

• 10-15+ years of professional embedded software engineering experience with a strong track record of hands‑on technical contribution to shipping hardware products.
• Deep expertise in real‑time embedded firmware - C++, RTOS‑based systems, safety‑critical or high‑reliability applications.
• Experience shipping at least two commercial or industrial hardware products from prototype through production.
• Proven ability to design and evolve embedded software architecture for complex, safety‑critical systems (BMS, motor control, automotive, aerospace, medical, or similar).
• 2+ years of prior people management experience - direct reports, performance conversations, hiring decisions.
• Strong debugging skills using debuggers, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and related test equipment. You know how to find the bug when the stack trace isn’t eno