Lead Firmware Engineer

HP Inc.; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 162,000 - 252,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Disability insurance

Employee assistance program

Flexible spending account

Life insurance

Generous time off

Job summary

HP IQ, HP’s AI innovation lab, seeks a firmware engineer to develop low-power embedded firmware for ARM-based MCUs, coordinating with hardware and software teams to deliver secure, efficient systems.

You will design, debug, and optimize firmware, participate in bringing up new hardware, and contribute to performance metrics across power, size, and speed. This role offers growth in leadership within a multi-disciplinary environment.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of firmware development for embedded MCUs.
• Deep embedded firmware knowledge including radio stacks (BT, BLE, Wi‑Fi), sensors, and audio pipelines.
• Proficient in FreeRTOS or Zephyr, Embedded C, C++, protocols, and unit testing.

Responsibilities

• Design and develop firmware and embedded system architecture for ARM-based MCUs in prototypes and products.
• Collaborate with EE, RF, Security, Cloud Services, and AI models teams to build high-performance, secure systems.
• Bring up and debug new hardware in the lab and support production site builds.
• Establish and manage performance metrics: code size, memory, power, latency.

Skills

Embedded firmware

ARM MCU

Low-power design

C/C++

FreeRTOS/Zephyr

Security & privacy

Job description

Description -

Who We Are

HP IQ is HP’s new AI innovation lab. Combining startup agility with HP’s global scale, we’re building intelligent technologies that redefine how the world works, creates, and collaborates.

We’re assembling a diverse, world-class team—engineers, designers, researchers, and product minds—focused on creating an intelligent ecosystem across HP’s portfolio. Together, we’re developing intuitive, adaptive solutions that spark creativity, boost productivity, and make collaboration seamless.

We create breakthrough solutions that make complex tasks feel effortless, teamwork more natural, and ideas more impactful—always with a human-centric mindset.

By embedding AI advancements into every HP product and service, we’re expanding what’s possible for individuals, organisations, and the future of work.

Join us as we reinvent work, so people everywhere can do their best work.

About The Role

The System Software team is responsible for firmware, operating system software, hardware-accelerated algorithms, and core developer frameworks supporting our products. We serve as the glue between our hardware teams and our higher-level software teams, and delight in finding creative solutions to complex, interdisciplinary problems as we bring our product visions to life. As a firmware engineer on our team, you will develop firmware for low-power embedded microcontrollers to coordinate sensors, ensure security and privacy, manage power subsystems, and more. You will also have plenty of opportunity to develop and grow your own management and leadership skills as you coordinate development efforts with vendors, consultants, and manufacturing partners.

What You Might Do

• Design and develop firmware and embedded system architecture for leading-edge ARM-based MCUs in our prototypes and products

• Collaborate with the EE, RF, Security, Cloud Services, and AI models team to build high-performance, secure, reliable systems

• Bring up and debug new hardware in the lab and support builds at remote production sites

• Establish and manage performance metrics including code size, model performance, memory footprint, power consumption, latency.

Essential Qualifications

• 8+ years experience developing firmware for embedded microcontrollers

• Deep experience in embedded firmware with demonstrable knowledge in radio stacks (BT, BLE, Wi‑Fi), sensor and audio pipelines, ARM MCU architecture.

• Passionate about low‑power (<1mW sleep) systems, audio subsystem integration, and cloud‑connected embedded devices.

• Proficient in FreeRTOS or Zephyr, Embedded C, C++, protocols, and unit test frameworks

• Comfortable working in large multi-developer codebases

• Ability to collaborate in a psychologically safe and healthy team environment

Preferred Skills

• Experience developing and debugging Qualcomm, STM32, Cypress/Infineon PSoC, or Nordic

• Experience shipping high-reliability production code

• Comfortable with low-level hardware debugging tools and techniques

Salary range: $162,000 - $252,000

Compensation & Benefits (Full-Time Employees)

The salary range for this role is listed above. Final salary offered is based upon multiple factors including individual job-related qualifications, education, experience, knowledge and skills.

At HP IQ, we offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Health insurance

• Dental insurance

• Vision insurance

• Long term/short term disability insurance

• Employee assistance program

• Flexible spending account

• Life insurance

• Generous time off policies, including; 4-12 weeks fully paid parental leave based on tenure11 paid holidaysAdditional flexible paid vacation and sick leave (US benefits overview (https://www8.hp.com/h20195/v2/GetDocument.aspx?docname=c07065756) )

Why HP IQ?

HP IQ is HP’s new AI innovation lab, building the intelligence to empower humanity—reimagining how we work, create, and connect to shape the future of work.

• Innovative Work Help shape the future of intelligent computing and workplace transformation.

• Autonomy and Agility Work with the speed and focus of a startup, backed by HP’s scale.

• Meaningful Impact Build AI-powered solutions that help people and organisations thrive.

• Flexible Work Environment Freedom and flexibility to do your best work.

• Forward-Thinking Culture We learn fast, stay future-focused, and imagine what comes next—together.

Equal Opportunity Employer (EEO) Statement

HP, Inc. provides equal employment opportunity to all employees and prospective employees, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, sexual orientation, age, disability, or status as a protected veteran, marital status, familial status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic predisposition or carrier status, uniformed service status, political affiliation or any other characteristic protected by applicable national, federal, state, and local law(s).

Please be assured that you will not be subject to any adverse treatment if you choose to disclose the information requested. This information is provided voluntarily. The information obtained will be kept in strict confidence.

Job -

Software

Schedule -

Full time

Shift -

No shift premium (United States of America)

Travel -

Relocation -

Equal Opportunity Employer (EEO) -

HP, Inc. provides equal employment opportunity to all employees and prospective employees, without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, sexual orientation, age, disability, or status as a protected veteran, marital status, familial status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, pregnancy, genetic predisposition or carrier status, uniformed service status, political affiliation or any other characteristic protected by applicable national, federal, state, and local law(s).

Please be assured that you will not be subject to any adverse treatment if you choose to disclose the information requested. This information is provided voluntarily. The information obtained will be kept in strict confidence.

For more information, review HP’s EEO Policy (https://www8.hp.com/h20195/v2/GetDocument.aspx?docname=c08129225) or read about your rights as an applicant under the law here: “Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal (http://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights6.12ScreenRdr.pdf) \"