Senior Firmware Engineer

Fellow; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 195,000 - 215,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee equity plan

Generous paid time off

401k with company contribution after 6

Medical/dental/vision insurance

Fitness stipend

Summer Fridays

Paid Parental Leave

Discount on Fellow products

Best coffee anywhere

Job summary

Fellow in San Francisco, CA, seeks a Senior Firmware Engineer to design, develop, and maintain robust RTOS-based firmware for our IoT platform. You will build embedded systems that connect hardware, mobile apps, and cloud services, ensuring a high-quality on-device experience.

A successful candidate will ship reliable firmware, collaborate with hardware, software, and design teams, and drive efficient, low-power, real-time performance across the product.

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in embedded firmware development.
• Deep expertise in FreeRTOS or other RTOS environments.
• Strong knowledge of ARM Cortex/STM32 MCUs and I2C/SPI/UART.
• Proficiency in C/C++ for embedded systems.
• Experience with on-device GUIs and mobile app integration.
• Strong debugging skills with JTAG, oscilloscopes and logic analyzers.
• Familiarity with OTA firmware updates and CI/CD processes.
• Excellent communicator across hardware, software and design teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop embedded firmware using FreeRTOS powering on-device GUIs and connectivity.
• Architect and optimize firmware for resource-constrained environments.
• Lead firmware development delivering high performance and reliability.
• Collaborate with product designers, hardware engineers, and app developers.
• Drive real-time responsiveness, memory efficiency, and low power use.
• Test and debug firmware to meet performance benchmarks.
• Maintain connectivity between hardware, mobile app, and cloud backend.
• Champion AI, automation, and improved firmware development workflows.

Skills

Embedded firmware development

RTOS expertise

C/C++ for embedded

On-device GUI integration

Cross-functional collaboration

Real-time performance optimization

Python/CI/CD basics

Tools

JTAG

Oscilloscopes

Logic analyzers

Version control

CI/CD tooling

Job description

About Fellow

We believe that the act of making should be meaningful and fulfilling, done with intention and precision. Fellow makes beautifully functional tools for any kitchen, designed in San Francisco and used around the world.

When the simple motions of life become small moments of joy, that's Everyday Magic.™

This role is based in our San Francisco, CA office and requires regular in-office presence in accordance with company policy.

Who You Are

Fellow is looking for a Senior Firmware Engineer to design, develop, and maintain robust, scalable UX and communication firmware for our IoT platform. You'll build the embedded systems that let customers interact with Fellow's connected products, making sure our hardware devices, mobile app, and cloud backend work together seamlessly.

A successful candidate will have deep experience with real-time operating systems, have shipped connected consumer products, and care as much about how a device feels to use as how efficiently it runs. This is a rare opportunity to shape the on-device experience of beautifully designed products used by coffee lovers around the world, as part of a small, agile team that owns the connected experience across on-device firmware, backend systems, and mobile apps.

Reporting to the Director of Firmware and Software, you'll serve as the connective tissue between product design, hardware engineering, and app development. You'll turn new product ideas into reliable, high-performance firmware. You bring strong technical judgment, a high bar for quality, and the instincts to ship on time in resource-constrained environments.

This is a hands-on engineering role. You'll help shape firmware architecture, and you'll also be the one writing, testing, and debugging the code.

What You'll Do

• Develop embedded firmware using FreeRTOS that powers on-device GUIs, control systems, and connectivity to mobile applications
• Architect and optimize firmware for resource-constrained environments, with a focus on efficiency, low power use, and stability
• Lead firmware development that brings new product experiences to life, delivering high performance and reliability
• Partner closely with product designers, hardware engineers, and app developers to imagine new product experiences and make sure on-device interfaces work smoothly in real time
• Drive system optimization for real-time responsiveness, efficient memory use, and low power consumption
• Set and uphold a high bar for reliability by testing and debugging firmware thoroughly with industry-standard tools and meeting performance benchmarks
• Maintain and improve the connectivity between hardware devices, the mobile app, and the cloud backend
• Champion AI, automation, and new ways of working to make firmware development, testing, and release more effective

Qualifications

• 6+ years of experience in embedded firmware development, focused on real-time operating systems (RTOS) and connected consumer products
• Deep expertise in FreeRTOS or other RTOS environments, with a strong understanding of multitasking, scheduling, and system performance optimization
• Strong knowledge of microcontroller platforms (ARM Cortex, STM32, etc.) and peripheral interfaces (I2C, SPI, UART)
• Proficiency in C/C++ for embedded systems development
• Experience working with on-device GUIs and integrating firmware with mobile applications
• Strong debugging skills and experience with tools such as JTAG, oscilloscopes, and logic analyzers
• Familiarity with embedded development tools (version control, CI/CD) and OTA firmware update processes
• Excellent communicator and collaborator who works well across hardware, software, and design teams
• Scrappy and agile, able to deliver on big expectations with limited resources
• Ability to travel up to 10%

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with MQTT or other IoT communication protocols
• Familiarity with wireless communication protocols (BLE, Wi-Fi) for IoT devices
• Experience with GUI development frameworks for embedded devices
• Experience with control systems and sensor integration (a plus, not required)
• Familiarity with testing and validation for IoT hardware devices
• Experience with mobile app deployment, managing updates, and mapping compatibility between on-device firmware and new mobile app capabilities
• Knowledge of security practices for IoT devices and systems, including encryption, secure boot, and TLS/SSL protocols

Why You'll Love This Role

• A creative, fast-moving environment where ideas turn into action
• Competitive compensation including employee equity plan
• Generous paid time off plan
• 401k with company contribution after 6 months of employment
• Medical/dental/vision insurance
• Better Yourself Wellness credit & Better Your Community donation matching
• Monthly Fitness Stipend
• Summer Fridays
• Paid Parental Leave
• Generous discount on Fellow products
• Best coffee anywhere

The salary range for this position is $195,000–$215,000 plus 10% bonus & equity. We intentionally publish salary ranges to promote transparency and set clear expectations. Final compensation is determined based on a number of factors, including relevant experience, skills, expertise, scope of previous work, demonstrated impact, and internal equity. As a result, not every candidate will be hired at the top of the range.

Our highest goal at Fellow is creating a safe, inclusive, and rewarding environment where everyone can bring their whole selves to work and thrive. We are committed to building diverse teams and strongly encourage people from underrepresented groups, including but not limited to women, people of color, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with disabilities, members of ethnic minorities, foreign-born residents, and veterans to apply.

Fellow is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants will not be discriminated against because of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, religion, national origin, citizenship status, disability, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, medical condition or any protected category prohibited by local, state or federal laws.