Senior Embedded Software Engineer

Stic; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

26 days off per year (15 PTO / 11hol)

401(k)

Job summary

Stic is modernizing out-of-home advertising with edge AI devices that run on vehicles, delivering measurable analytics rather than guesses. The Stic Vision v3.0 is a small, battery-conscious edge device that operates with no external power or maintenance for years.

You will own the embedded firmware stack, bring up hardware, optimize power, integrate sensors and wireless interfaces, and collaborate with hardware, CV, and cloud teams to ship a manufacturable product.

Qualifications

• 3-5+ years of professional embedded software engineering experience.
• Strong proficiency in C, MicroPython and C++ for embedded systems.
• Hands-on experience with BLE firmware development (advertising, scanning, payload design, RSSI logic).
• Experience with RTOS, interrupt handling, and low-level memory management.
• Familiarity with SPI, I2C, UART, and wireless stacks.
• Proficiency with debugging tools including JTAG, oscilloscopes, and logic analyzers.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain embedded firmware in C/C++ for microcontrollers and wireless modules powering the Stic Vision v3.0.
• Own OpenMV-based computer vision firmware for person detection, vehicle counting, facial sentiment analysis, and demographic measurement.
• Implement BLE communication stacks — advertising, scanning, data payloads, and RSSI-based logic.
• Integrate cellular (LTE/5G), GNSS, IMU, camera, and sensor interfaces into a unified firmware architecture.
• Build low-power firmware architectures including sleep states, duty cycling, and battery optimization for field-deployed devices.
• Define and implement device-to-cloud and device-to-phone communication protocols.
• Support OTA update pipelines, field diagnostics, and reliability improvements.
• Collaborate with hardware, computer vision, and cloud teams to ensure seamless full-stack integration.
• Contribute to board bring-up, hardware/firmware debugging, and system validation across EVT/DVT/PVT cycles.

Skills

Embedded software

C/C++

MicroPython

BLE firmware

RTOS

Low-power design

Education

Bachelors in Electrical/Computer Engineering or related

Tools

JTAG

Oscilloscopes

Logic analyzers

Job description

Stic is modernizing out-of-home, one of advertising's oldest formats. Billboards and transit ads have always sold impressions on faith. Stic replaces faith by turning everyday vehicles into GPS-tracked, mobile media. Brands get proof instead of best guesses. Drivers earn passive income on miles they're already driving.

Stic Vision is how it works. An edge AI device small enough to live inside a decal, streaming informative analytics with no vehicle-level integration required.

The global out-of-home advertising market is worth roughly $40 billion a year. Stic is building the measurement layer that legacy OOH never had.

Stic is trusted by brands like TikTok, Dunkin Donuts, e.l.f., and PacSun. The traction is already showing up in results: a SXSW campaign for TikTok Radio put 44 vehicles on the road in Austin and generated 3.9 million tracked impressions. That's real, revenue-generating proof in a category still mostly sold on assumptions.

Stic is lean by design. People joining now build the playbook rather than inheriting one. This means fast execution, without the layers of process that slow down bigger companies.

About You

You are a firmware engineer who likes owning 0 to 1 projects. You have taken a device from a bare board to a shipped product. You are as comfortable at the bench with a logic analyzer as you are architecting the firmware stack, and you have spent real time close to the metal on ARM Cortex-M platforms. You have shipped BLE, you have fought the power budget on a battery-constrained device, and you know what it takes to make hardware run unattended in the field for years. You do not need a playbook. You would rather help write one.

The Problems You'd Solve

Stic Vision is a small edge AI device that runs on a vehicle and has to work on its own, for years, with no external power and no one to service it. You would own the hard parts of making that real.

The first is bringing the device from late-stage beta to a shipped, manufacturable product, which means board bring-up, driver work, and everything in between. The second is the power problem, where every design choice runs through a single brutal constraint: no external power, years in the field, no maintenance. The third is getting clean data off the device and keeping it flowing from a moving vehicle without dropping it. These are not solved problems you would maintain. They are open problems you would own.

What You’ll Do

• Develop and maintain embedded firmware in C/C++ for microcontrollers and wireless modules powering the Stic Vision v3.0
• Own OpenMV-based computer vision firmware for person detection, vehicle counting, facial sentiment analysis, and demographic measurement
• Implement BLE communication stacks — advertising, scanning, data payloads, and RSSI-based logic
• Integrate cellular (LTE/5G), GNSS, IMU, camera, and sensor interfaces into a unified firmware architecture
• Build low-power firmware architectures including sleep states, duty cycling, and battery optimization for field-deployed devices
• Define and implement device-to-cloud and device-to-phone communication protocols
• Support OTA update pipelines, field diagnostics, and reliability improvements
• Collaborate with hardware, computer vision, and cloud teams to ensure seamless full-stack integration
• Contribute to board bring-up, hardware/firmware debugging, and system validation across EVT/DVT/PVT cycles

What You Have to Have

• 3-5+ years of professional embedded software engineering experience
• Strong proficiency in C, micropython and C++ for embedded systems
• Hands‑on experience with BLE firmware development (advertising, scanning, payload design, RSSI logic)
• Experience with real‑time operating systems (RTOS), interrupt handling, and low‑level memory management
• Familiarity with communication protocols including SPI, I2C, UART, and wireless stacks
• Proficiency with debugging tools including JTAG, oscilloscopes, and logic analyzers
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent experience

What You Should Ideally Have

• Experience with OpenMV or similar embedded computer vision / ML-enabled camera modules
• Familiarity with nRF, STM32, Snapdragon, NVIDIA Jetson, ESP32, or similar platforms
• Experience with LTE/5G module integration and GNSS systems
• Background in edge AI inference, sensor fusion, or on‑device ML
• Exposure to EVT/DVT/PVT processes and scaling hardware from prototype to production
• Experience in IoT, automotive, or rugged field‑deployed systems
• Join a well‑funded early‑stage company disrupting traditional advertising with patent pending technology
• 26 days off per year (15 PTO / 11 holidays) prorated for any partial year of employment
• 401(k)

Stic is an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, disability, genetic information, medical condition, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Use of Artificial Intelligence and Automated Tools in Recruiting

Stic uses artificial intelligence and automated tools in parts of our recruiting process. These tools may help organize and review applications, transcribe or summarize interviews, and assist our team in assessing job-related qualifications. Artificial intelligence does not make hiring decisions. A member of our team reviews candidate materials and makes every screening, interview, and hiring decision.

We do not use these tools to evaluate candidates on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal or California law.

Reasonable Accommodations & Alternative Process

Stic is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and individuals with sincerely held religious beliefs in our job application and interview procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, wish to request an alternative to any AI‑assisted step in our recruiting process, or have questions about how these tools are used, please contact us at [e-mail]. Requesting an accommodation or alternative will not negatively impact your application or candidacy.

Privacy Notice at Collection

Personal information we collect includes identifiers, biometric information, internet activity, geolocation data, audio, electronic, video, or image information, professional or employment‑related information, and inferences drawn from the above information. We do not sell your personal information. We may share your personal information with service providers who assist with payment processing, data analytics, campaign management, and technology infrastructure, and with brand partners to the extent necessary to demonstrate campaign performance. We do not share your personal information for cross‑context behavioral advertising.