Senior Member of Technical Staff, Firmware Engineer (SoC/RTOS)

Lumotive

San Jose (CA)

On-site

USD 145,000 - 170,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

Health, dental and vision insurance

401K with 3% contribution

Stock Options

Paid Time Off (PTO) plus 14 paid company holidays

Life insurance and disability

Job summary

A leading optics technology company in San Jose is seeking an experienced Firmware Architect to lead the architecture and development of firmware across multi-processor embedded subsystems. The ideal candidate will have over 8 years of experience in firmware or hardware integration. Responsibilities include defining firmware architecture, optimizing low-power strategies, and collaborating with cross-functional engineering teams. This role offers competitive compensation ranging from $145,000 to $170,000 per year with additional performance-based bonuses and equity.

Qualifications

8+ years as a firmware/HW/SoC architect or senior embedded firmware engineer.
Proven experience with multiple embedded processor subsystems and integration into ASIC/SoC.
RTOS selection and bring-up (e.g., FreeRTOS, Zephyr, ThreadX).

Responsibilities

Own firmware architecture for multi-core embedded subsystems.
Develop and optimize drivers and middleware.
Implement low-power firmware strategies.

Skills

Embedded systems architecture

Firmware development

RTOS selection and bring-up

Driver development

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or Computer Engineering

Tools

Oscilloscopes

Logic analyzers

JTAG

Python

Job description

Lumotive is pioneering the era of programmable optics—where light is controlled as intelligently and flexibly as software.

At the heart of this transformation is a once-in-a-generation innovation: a flatCMOS-based “general purpose optic.” Lumotive’s Light Control Metasurface (LCM™) beam forming chip can be programmed to function as a beam steering mirror, a lens, mirror, a beam splitter—or any optical function—replacing bulky and mechanical optical components with a fully digital, reconfigurable semiconductor. This breakthrough lays the foundation for a massive shift in multiple technologies—from 3D sensing and imaging to optical networking, free space optical communication, and beyond. Like the shift from analog to digital in electronics, programmable optics will reshape industries from robotics, self-driving cars, AI, defense, and healthcare.

Lumotive’s first commercial application is in LiDAR, where its software-defined beam steering chips are already enabling compact, high-performance, solid-state sensors. These sensors are being deployed today in smart infrastructure, robotics, and mobility systems through leading module makers and solution integrators.

With more than 200 patents and growing commercial traction, Lumative is delivering the world’s first digital platform for light—and redefining what’s possible in the optical age.

Job Description:

Lead architecture and development of firmware across multi-processor embedded subsystems integrated into ASIC/SoC platforms. You’ll partition functionality across hardware, firmware, and software; bring up RTOS and secure boot flows; and deliver production-grade code and tests for low-power, safety-critical products.

Responsibilities

Own firmware architecture for multi-core embedded subsystems; define HW datapath engines and the FW needed for extensible, scalable architectures.
Partition designs and justify tradeoffs across HW/FW/SW; collaborate with ASIC/SoC, digital design, verification, board, and systems teams.
Bring up RTOS (selection, BSPs, drivers, scheduler configuration) and multiple boot modes including secure boot, key provisioning, and rollback.
Implement low-power firmware strategies (clock/power domains, sleep states, retention, wake sources) and validate current/latency targets.
Develop and optimize drivers and middleware for common interconnects (USB, JTAG, I²C, SPI, GPIO, UART, DMA); integrate with hardware modules.
Build production firmware for both prototyping platforms and formal product environments; manage transitions from lab to manufacturing.
Create host-side drivers/tools for Windows and Linux as needed (kernel/user-space interfaces, diagnostics, provisioning utilities).
Define and implement TDD workflows: unit tests, HIL/integration tests, test frameworks, and CI pipelines; enforce code quality via reviews and static analysis.
Support board bring-up and validation; read/review schematics and layouts; debug with oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and protocol analyzers.
Contribute to functional safety activities (requirements, traceability, FMEA/Fault-trees, safety mechanisms) per automotive/industry standards.
Document designs and decisions; make clear calls amid ambiguity with incomplete information.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or equivalent.
8+ years as a firmware/HW/SoC architect or senior embedded firmware engineer.
Proven experience with multiple embedded processor subsystems and integration into ASIC/SoC.
Solid grasp of computer architecture and OS principles (memory, concurrency, scheduling, interrupts, caches).
RTOS selection and bring-up (e.g., FreeRTOS, Zephyr, ThreadX) including BSPs, bootloaders, and startup code.
Firmware-controlled low-power design and measurement.
Multiple firmware boot modes, including secure boot, signing, key management, and recovery.
Driver development and HW module interfacing (USB, JTAG, I²C, SPI, UART, DMA).
Firmware and driver development for Windows and Linux environments.
Schematic/layout literacy for effective HW/FW co-debug.
Proficiency with lab/debug tools: oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, JTAG/SWD, and network/protocol analyzers.
TDD experience and ability to implement robust unit/integration test frameworks; CI with Git-based workflows.
Comfortable managing ambiguity and making sound tradeoffs with limited information; strong written/spoken communication.
Experience defining HW datapath engines tightly coupled with firmware control loops.
Automotive/functional safety (e.g., ISO 26262) or similar safety-critical domain experience.
Secure manufacturing/provisioning, OTA/update strategies, and rollback.
Performance/power profiling and optimization on constrained systems.
Python/CMake/Yocto or build/test tooling for automation and HIL rigs.
Compliance practices (MISRA-C/CERT C), static analysis, and coverage tools.