Sr. Sustaining Firmware Engineer

Serve Robotics; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Serve Robotics, a cutting-edge technology company based in Los Angeles, is seeking a Senior Sustaining Firmware Engineer. In this role, you will lead debugging and analysis of embedded firmware across robotic platforms, ensuring quality and reliability. Join a dynamic team focused on innovative delivery solutions using robotics and AI, enhancing user experience and operational efficiency.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in embedded firmware development.
• Proficient in C/C++ for embedded systems.
• Experience with real-time operating systems.

Responsibilities

• Lead firmware-level failure analysis and debugging.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to resolve multi-disciplinary issues.
• Develop and maintain diagnostic tools for firmware support.

Skills

Embedded debugging

Problem-solving

Cross-functional communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

C/C++ compilers

Oscilloscopes

Logic analyzers

Job description

Join to apply for the Sr. Sustaining Firmware Engineer role at Serve Robotics

Join to apply for the Sr. Sustaining Firmware Engineer role at Serve Robotics

This range is provided by Serve Robotics. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

$140,000.00/yr - $170,000.00/yr

At Serve Robotics, we’re reimagining how things move in cities. Our personable sidewalk robot is our vision for the future. It’s designed to take deliveries away from congested streets, make deliveries available to more people, and benefit local businesses.

The Serve fleet has been delighting merchants, customers, and pedestrians along the way in Los Angeles while doing commercial deliveries. We’re looking for talented individuals who will grow robotic deliveries from surprising novelty to efficient ubiquity.

Who We Are

We are tech industry veterans in software, hardware, and design who are pooling our skills to build the future we want to live in. We are solving real-world problems leveraging robotics, machine learning and computer vision, among other disciplines, with a mindful eye towards the end-to-end user experience. Our team is agile, diverse, and driven. We believe that the best way to solve complicated dynamic problems is collaboratively and respectfully.

We are looking for a Senior Sustaining Firmware Engineer to lead the support and enhancement of embedded firmware in our robotic platforms. This role is focused on Failure Analysis (FA), debugging, and design improvements—ensuring robust firmware behavior across production and field-deployed systems. You’ll collaborate closely with electrical, mechanical, systems, and manufacturing teams to root-cause complex system issues, implement firmware-level fixes, and drive long-term improvements in reliability and maintainability. This position is ideal for someone who thrives in fast-paced, cross-functional environments and takes ownership of critical system behaviors.

Responsibilities

• Lead structured firmware-level Failure Analysis (FA) and root-cause investigations across production and field environments.
• Serve as a technical lead for resolving complex embedded issues involving sensors, actuators, safety systems, and power management.
• Author and present detailed FA reports that drive alignment and inform long-term corrective actions.
• Implement and validate firmware changes (bug fixes, improvements, hardware adaptation) through formal change processes.
• Support and improve firmware documentation, including flowcharts, configuration maps, and debug procedures.
• Collaborate with Electrical, Mechanical, and Systems Engineering to resolve multi-disciplinary issues at the board and system level.
• Contribute to firmware bring-up, regression testing, and system validation for newly built or reworked robotic units.
• Develop and maintain diagnostic tools and test routines to improve issue detection and field servicing.
• Drive or contribute to cost reduction, yield improvement, and design-for-reliability initiatives.
• Mentor junior firmware or sustaining engineers in debugging methodology and structured problem-solving.
  
  

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Robotics, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in embedded firmware development, particularly in complex hardware environments.
• Strong proficiency in C/C++ for bare-metal or RTOS-based platforms (e.g., STM32, NXP, TI).
• Deep understanding of real-time systems, embedded debugging, and firmware-hardware interaction.
• Experience with common hardware interfaces: SPI, I2C, UART, PWM, GPIO, CAN.
• Skilled with lab tools: oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, JTAG/SWD debuggers, signal generators.
• Familiarity with structured development workflows: Git, code reviews, Jira/ticketing systems.
• Comfortable interpreting electrical schematics and working closely with hardware teams.
• Hands-on experience supporting firmware in robotics, automation, or field-deployed systems.
• Working knowledge of RTOS (e.g., FreeRTOS, Zephyr), and/or embedded Linux.
• Experience in motor control, sensor fusion, or safety-critical firmware is a strong plus.
• Bonus: Familiarity with ROS, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing, or simulation environments.
• Strong cross-functional communication, documentation, and technical leadership skills.
  
  

What Makes You Standout

• You are a go-to expert for embedded debugging and system-level triage.
• You approach problems methodically and bring structure to high-ambiguity issues.
• You’ve resolved elusive bugs across complex hardware/firmware/software stacks.
• You bridge gaps between hardware and software teams to drive clear root cause and resolution.
• You take ownership of sustaining challenges and follow through from triage to long-term fix.

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Mid-Senior level

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Engineering and Information Technology

• Industries

  Technology, Information and Internet

Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Serve Robotics by 2x

Sign in to set job alerts for “Senior Firmware Engineer” roles.

Software Engineer, Embedded Open XR, Level 4

Los Angeles, CA $133,000.00-$235,000.00 2 weeks ago

Cypress, CA $124,000.00-$136,000.00 1 week ago

Senior Embedded Software Engineer (Camera Systems)

Redondo Beach, CA $150,000.00-$200,000.00 1 month ago

Burbank, CA $93,900.00-$133,700.00 5 days ago

Embedded Software Engineer, Cellular, Level 5

Montebello, CA $100,000.00-$125,000.00 3 days ago

Long Beach, CA $160,000.00-$210,000.00 2 weeks ago

Staff Embedded Software Engineer, Power Electronics Functional Safety

Principal Software Engineer - Embedded Systems

Senior Embedded Software Engineer (Cabin Systems)

Principal/Sr. Principal Embedded Software Engineer (Secret Clearance) - R10196714

Manhattan Beach, CA $110,300.00-$206,000.00 3 days ago

Embedded Software Engineer (Verification)

Chatsworth, CA $107,550.00-$134,695.00 3 days ago

Hawthorne, CA $100,000.00-$175,000.00 2 weeks ago

Req:: Sr Software Embedded Engineer_ Torrance, CA (Onsite) _ W2 Only

Sr. Principal Engineer Embedded Software (IPT Lead)-(AHT) - R10196962

Los Angeles, CA $137,400.00-$206,000.00 15 hours ago

Lead Embedded Software Engineer, Motor Controls

Los Angeles, CA $140,000.00-$190,000.00 5 hours ago

Senior Embedded Software Engineer (Actuators & Control Systems)

We’re unlocking community knowledge in a new way. Experts add insights directly into each article, started with the help of AI.