Staff Embedded Software Engineer, Robotics

Cobot; Santa Clara (CA); On-site; USD 205,000 - 235,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation stipend

Equity

Job summary

Cobot, based in Santa Clara, CA, is seeking a Staff Embedded Software Engineer to build production embedded software powering our robots. You will develop firmware, device drivers, and time-critical systems in C++ and collaborate with hardware, controls, safety and test teams.

This hands-on leadership role involves mentoring engineers, owning software across the lifecycle, and contributing to reliability and safety. Relocation stipend offered for candidates outside 50 miles.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in embedded or firmware for complex hardware systems.
• Strong C++ programming experience.
• Experience with microcontrollers or systems-on-chip, RTOS, device drivers, peripherals, and hardware bring-up.
• Knowledge of interrupts, memory management, timing, concurrency, and embedded debugging.
• Experience delivering software across the full development lifecycle.
• Demonstrated technical leadership via design ownership, mentorship, or engineering process improvements.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, test, and maintain production embedded software using C++.
• Develop firmware, device drivers, hardware interfaces, diagnostics, and fault-handling mechanisms.
• Own software from requirements through integration, verification, release, and field support.
• Build reliable, time-critical systems that account for timing constraints, concurrency, resource limitations, edge cases, and hardware failures.
• Partner with engineering teams to define and validate safe and trustworthy robot behavior.
• Lead root-cause investigations and drive improvements in architecture, testing, code quality, documentation, and release practices.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship across the embedded software team.

Skills

C++

Embedded systems

Firmware

Leadership

Communication

Travel flexibility

Tools

RTOS

embedded Linux

QNX

AUTOSAR

FreeRTOS

Zephyr

Job description

Collaborative Robotics is seeking a Staff Embedded Software Engineer to build the production embedded software that powers our robots.

In this role, you will work closely with hardware, developing firmware, device drivers, time-critical embedded software, diagnostics, and fault-handling systems. You will play a key part in shaping robot behavior, reliability, performance, and safety.

This is a hands‑on technical leadership position. You will continue to write and review production‑grade C++, drive key technical decisions, mentor fellow engineers, and collaborate closely with our Hardware, Systems, Controls, Safety and Test teams. Prior functional safety expertise is a plus, but not required.

Collaborative Robotics is a team of innovators dedicated to redefining the future of human‑robot interaction. We are building a world where robots act as a trusted extension of your surroundings—robots that adapt and react to you, not the other way around.

This position is based onsite at our Santa Clara, CA headquarters. We offer a relocation stipend for candidates living more than 50 miles away.

Join us to reimagine the future of human-robot interaction.

Key Responsibilities

• Design & Development: Design, implement, test, and maintain production embedded software using C++.
• System Ownership: Develop firmware, device drivers, hardware interfaces, diagnostics, and fault-handling mechanisms.
• Full Lifecycle Ownership: Own software from requirements through integration, verification, release, and field support.
• System Reliability: Build reliable, time-critical systems that account for timing constraints, concurrency, resource limitations, edge cases, and hardware failures.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with engineering teams to define and validate safe and trustworthy robot behavior.
• Technical Leadership: Lead root‑cause investigations and drive improvements in architecture, testing, code quality, documentation, and release practices.
• Mentorship: Provide technical leadership and mentorship across the embedded software team.

Minimum Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience developing embedded or firmware software for complex hardware systems.
• Strong, recent hands‑on experience programming in C++.
• Experience with microcontrollers or systems‑on‑chip, RTOS or embedded operating systems, device drivers, peripherals, and hardware bring‑up.
• Strong knowledge of interrupts, memory management, communication protocols, timing, concurrency, and embedded debugging.
• Experience delivering software across the full development lifecycle.
• Proven experience delivering software across the full development lifecycle.
• Demonstrated technical leadership via design ownership, mentorship, or engineering process improvements.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a highly collaborative, team‑oriented mindset.
• Enthusiasm for working in a fast‑paced, dynamic startup environment.
• Willingness to travel occasionally.
• U.S. work authorization required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Background in robotics, autonomous systems, automotive, aerospace, medical devices, industrial automation, or other high-reliability systems.
• Familiarity with functional safety standards or methods such as IEC 61508, ISO 26262, ISO 13849, FMEA, FTA, HARA, or STPA.
• Experience with embedded Linux, QNX, AUTOSAR, FreeRTOS, Zephyr, or similar environments.
• Experience integrating sensors, actuators, motor controls, or distributed compute systems.
• Experience with hardware‑in‑the‑loop (HIL) testing, CI/CD, diagnostics, field reliability, or incident investigation.

The base salary range for this position is $205,000 - $235,000 plus equity and comprehensive benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role and experience level. The range reflects the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position in the noted geographic area. Within the range, individual pay is determined by additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

Cobot is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to legally protected characteristics. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance or accommodations due to a disability, please let your recruiter know.