Staff Embedded Software Engineer

Point One Navigation Inc; San Francisco (CA); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

Point One Navigation is seeking a Staff Embedded Software Engineer to own the navigation engine and platform across diverse hardware. The role involves deep integration with GNSS, inertial sensors, and other hardware interfaces, and requires leadership in architecture and end-to-end delivery.

You will drive cross-team collaboration with hardware, firmware, and cloud teams, while mentoring junior engineers and delivering robust, production-ready software across devices and customers.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of professional software development experience, with significant depth in embedded or platform-level systems.
• Proven ability to conceptualize, design, and implement major software components - from early architecture through testing and production deployment.
• BS/MS/PhD in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent experience.
• Expert in modern C++ (C++14 or later), with deep knowledge of system-level programming, memory management, and concurrency.
• Strong experience with embedded Linux, RTOSes, and bare-metal systems.
• Hands-on experience with board bring-up, driver development, and timing-critical systems.

Responsibilities

• Own and evolve the navigation engine across a wide range of hardware platforms, devices, and customer applications.
• Lead hardware integration and bring-up across new platforms and peripherals (UART, SPI, I2C, CAN).
• Drive performance tuning and low-level optimizations for Linux-based devices and bare-metal environments.
• Design and implement testing and verification strategies for complex navigation systems.
• Mentor junior engineers and contribute to architecture discussions and roadmap planning.

Skills

C++

Embedded systems

Linux

RTOS

Debugging

Education

BS/MS/PhD in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Computer Science

Tools

gdb

JTAG

Logic analyzers

Oscilloscopes

UART

SPI

I2C

CAN

Job description

Staff Embedded Software Engineer (Generalist) (C++)

Location: San Francisco, CA – In Office 3 Days/Week

About Point One Navigation

Point One Navigation is on a mission to bridge the digital and physical worlds through precision location. Our RTK Corrections Network and FusionEngine™ software deliver centimeter-level accuracy and high-confidence positioning for vehicles, robots, drones, and devices across industries. We’re API-first, developer-focused, and pushing the boundaries of autonomy and automation.

Role Outcome

Staff Embedded Software Engineers own the design, implementation, and integrity of Point One’s core navigation engine and products - from low-level hardware integration to system-level software architecture and algorithm design.

This is an ownership-first role: you will conceptualize and drive complex technical challenges end-to-end - from early architecture through deployment in mission-critical systems - while raising the technical bar across the team.

FusionEngine powers a wide range of devices, hardware platforms, and customer applications. This team is responsible for making it work reliably across all of them: designing solutions to difficult new problems, responding to evolving customer needs, and ensuring the navigation engine stays thoroughly tested, verified, and production-ready as it grows.

Success in this role means:

• The navigation engine is robust, performant, and correct across a diverse and expanding set of hardware platforms and customer environments.

• New sensors, interfaces, and hardware platforms are integrated reliably, with clear abstractions that scale.

• Engineering decisions reflect a deep understanding of real-world deployment constraints - timing, power, reliability, and safety.

• Customer challenges are met with well-designed, durable solutions - not one-off fixes.

• Testing and verification are treated as first-class responsibilities, giving the team and customers confidence in every release.

• Junior engineers grow faster and the team’s practices improve measurably over time.

Immediate Areas of Focus

_ Own the Navigation Engine and Platform _

• Lead design, implementation, and optimization of the core navigation engine across a wide range of hardware platforms, devices, and customer applications.

• Conceptualize and architect solutions that integrate GNSS receivers, inertial sensors, wheel odometry, cameras, and other hardware - with abstractions that scale across diverse deployments.

• Break down high-level work descriptions into concrete tasks, schedules, and milestones, and hold yourself accountable for delivering against them.

• Drive performance tuning and low-level optimizations across a range of platforms - from Linux-based devices (ARM and x86) to bare-metal microcontroller environments.

• Ensure the software stack is well-structured, maintainable, and built to last as the product and customer base grow.

_ Drive Hardware Integration and Bring-Up _

• Own board bring-up, driver development, and hardware validation for new platforms and peripherals.

• Work hands-on with hardware interfaces (UART, SPI, I2C, CAN) and debugging tools (gdb, JTAG, logic analyzers, oscilloscopes).

• Identify and resolve timing-critical and hardware-software interaction issues early in the integration process.

_ Respond to Customer and Market Challenges _

• Engage directly with evolving customer needs and translate them into well-designed, durable technical solutions.

• Collaborate with hardware, firmware, cloud infrastructure, and customer-facing teams to deliver reliable end-to-end systems.

• Surface technical risks and tradeoffs early so architecture and delivery decisions reflect real-world constraints.

_ Own Testing and Verification _

• Design and maintain rigorous testing and verification strategies across the navigation engine and supported hardware platforms.

• Treat test coverage as a first-class engineering responsibility - ensuring the team and customers have confidence in every release.

• Identify gaps in coverage proactively, particularly as new platforms, sensors, or customer configurations are added.

_ Raise the Technical Bar _

• Mentor junior engineers and establish best practices across the team.

• Contribute to architecture discussions, technical strategy, and roadmap planning.

• Apply Python or similar tools for automation, scripting, and debugging to accelerate team productivity.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of professional software development experience, with significant depth in embedded or platform-level systems.

• Proven ability to conceptualize, design, and implement major software components - from early architecture through testing and production deployment.

• Proven ability to take high-level project goals and decompose them into actionable tasks, realistic schedules, and clear milestones - with a track record of delivering on commitments.

• Expert in modern C++ (C++14 or later), with deep knowledge of system-level programming, memory management, and concurrency.

• Strong experience with embedded Linux, RTOSes, and bare-metal systems.

• Hands-on experience with board bring-up, driver development, and timing-critical systems.

• Proficiency with common hardware interfaces (UART, SPI, I2C, CAN) and debugging tools (gdb, logic analyzers, oscilloscopes).

• Experience designing and owning testing and verification strategies for complex systems.

• BS/MS/PhD in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent experience.

Bonus Points For

• Experience with GNSS, state estimation, Kalman filtering, or inertial navigation.

• Working knowledge of positioning technologies and error sources (multipath, drift, bias).

• Background in safety-critical or highly available systems in automotive, robotics, or aerospace.

• Familiarity with IP networking as implemented in Linux-based operating systems.

Our Cultural Foundation

At Point One, our cultural and operating design is built around one guiding principle: we must move with extreme speed and efficiency of effort to stay in a leadership position.

This environment gives people a high level of autonomy and the ability to make a real impact. It also challenges every team member to grow — both professionally and personally. Because we focus on promoting from within rather than relying on external hiring, the opportunities for advancement are tremendous for those who seek them.

That said, growth only comes from delivering in the present. What matters most is the job to be done today , not the job you want tomorrow. When we all focus on today’s outcomes with excellence, the path to greater responsibility and growth naturally follows.

We think about our culture in two dimensions:

How We Show Up Every Day

These are the behaviors we expect every team member to bring to work — the foundation of being a consummate, high-output teammate:

• Trust / Assume Best Intent — Trust allows us to move fast. When we start from trust, we spend no time second-guessing or looking for ulterior motives and thus focus all our energy on acting.

• High Output, Action Oriented — Our default posture is “yes.” We bias toward action and deliver results quickly, knowing that speed and efficiency compound into impact as we unblock others around us.

• Divine Discontent — We’re never satisfied with the status quo and are self-motivated to improve ourselves, our work, and our company. We actively seek feedback in real-time to shorten improvement cycles.

• No Ego, One Team — Collaboration without ego creates leverage. When we win as one team, we eliminate friction and move faster together.

• Self Accountability — Taking ownership is the straightest line to learning, self-improvement, and correcting our course of action. And blaming others around us is a fast path to destroying trust.

Operating Principles

These are the systems and norms that amplify speed and efficiency at the company level:

• Edge Innovation — We bias toward action over approval. Experiment, decide, and move — failure is just a step toward faster learning.

• No Hierarchies — We practice self-prioritization and go direct to the source. Flattening layers reduces drag and maximizes autonomy.

• Customer Experience First — We optimize for the end-to-end customer outcome, not functional or departmental efficiency. This focus cuts waste, aligns priorities, and ensures we spend effort where it matters most.

If this role sounds like a fit, we’d love to hear from you.