Staff Engineer - System Test

Ambiq Micro, Inc.; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Ambiq Micro, Inc. in Austin, TX seeks a Staff Engineer, System Test to lead system-level test strategy and automation across Ambiq MCU platforms.

You will own regression framework improvements and ensure tests are reliable, repeatable, and fast at finding issues early. You will collaborate with global software, validation, architecture, hardware, and automation teams on pre-silicon FPGA/emulation and post-silicon evaluation boards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical, Computer Engineering or CS.
• 6+ years with a Master's or 8+ years with a Bachelor's in embedded systems and testing.
• Strong Python for test automation; C/C++ for embedded software.

Responsibilities

• Define test coverage and execute system-level testing across Ambiq MCU platforms.
• Architect, develop, and maintain the regression framework and test automation.
• Design, implement, and debug embedded test cases for MCU subsystems.
• Automate laboratory instruments and measurement workflows for regression testing.
• Lead complex system-level debug and document root causes and actions.

Skills

Python programming

C/C++ for embedded software

Embedded systems

Test automation

Regression framework

Lab automation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering

Master's degree in Electrical Engineering

Master's degree in Computer Engineering

Tools

Git

SCPI

VISA

PyVISA

Job description

Ambiqis on a mission to enable intelligence everywhere — powering the AI edge revolution with the world's lowest-power semiconductor solutions.

Built on our proprietary sub- and near-threshold technology, our chips deliver multi-fold improvements in energy efficiency without costly process scaling. Since 2010, we've shipped over 300 million units to customers building smarter wearables, medical devices, IoT products, and AI-powered edge applications.

Our cross-functional teams span design, research, development, production, marketing, sales, and operations across Austin, Hsinchu, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Singapore. We move fast, tackle hard problems, and create space for people to grow through complex, meaningful work that shapes the future of technology.

We're looking for self-motivated, creative problem-solvers who are eager to push technological limits and make a real impact in energy efficiency.

At Ambiq, we live by five values:Innovate. Collaborate. Focus. Learn. Achieve.

If that's you, join us — the intelligence everywhere revolution starts here.

This role will be on-site 5 days a week in NW Austin.

Scope

This is an on-site role based in Austin, Texas. As a Staff Engineer, System Test at Ambiq, you will provide technical leadership for system-level test strategy and automation across Ambiq MCU platforms. You will own improvements to the regression framework and help ensure system tests are reliable, repeatable, and effective at finding issues early.

You will work closely with global MCU software, validation, architecture, hardware, and automation teams. The role spans embedded firmware, test infrastructure, lab equipment, and data analysis, supporting both pre-silicon platforms such as FPGA or emulation and post-silicon evaluation boards.

The successful candidate is an experienced engineer who can lead complex test and debug efforts, turn recurring manual work into maintainable automation, and communicate findings clearly. They bring sound engineering judgment, collaborate across hardware and software boundaries, and help other engineers improve test quality and efficiency.

This role will guide the design and maintenance of regression and automation infrastructure, develop system tests and instrument-control workflows, analyze test results, and drive root-cause investigations. They will also mentor engineers and contribute to the team's long-term system test methodology.

Responsibilities

• Define test coverage and execute system-level testing across Ambiq MCU platforms and SDK releases. Architect, develop, and maintain the regression framework and test automation using Python or other scripting languages , including test orchestration, board and target control, result collection, reporting, failure triage, and integration with the team's CI or automation workflows.
• Design , implement, and debug embedded test cases for MCU subsystems and peripherals, using C and assembly where appropriate .
• Automate laboratory instruments and measurement workflows to support repeatable system characterization and regression testing; define reliable setup, control, data capture, and recovery behavior.
• Improve test result storage, traceability, querying, and reporting so engineers can compare runs, identify trends, and investigate failures efficiently.
• Lead complex system-level debug across firmware, drivers, SoC blocks, evaluation boards, and lab setups; document root cause, evidence, and recommended corrective actions.
• Work with software, validation, architecture, and hardware teams to define test requirements, acceptance criteria, and coverage priorities for new features and platforms.
• Support pre-silicon testing on FPGA or emulation platforms and post-silicon bring-up, validation, and regression on evaluation boards.
• Mentor engineers on test design, automation, debugging, and laboratory practices; promote reusable tools and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering , Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• At least 6 years of relevant experience with a Master's degree or 8 years with a Bachelor's degree in embedded systems, system testing, validation, or related engineering work.
• Strong Python programming experience for test automation and C or C++ for embedded software and test development.
• Demonstrated experience developing or maintaining automated regression systems, including test execution, result handling, failure analysis, and ongoing framework improvement.
• Hands-on experience automating laboratory instruments or measurement equipment. Familiarity with instrument-control interfaces and protocols such as SCPI, VISA, or PyVISA is desirable.
• Strong understanding of MCU architecture and embedded systems, including interrupts , DMA, memory, power or clock control, and peripheral interfaces such as SPI, I2C, UART, or USB.
• Experience debugging embedded systems in a laboratory using equipment such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, power analyzers, or debug probes.
• Experience with an RTOS such as FreeRTOS or Zephyr, source control such as Git, and issue tracking and collaboration tools.
• Ability to lead technical investigations, manage multiple priorities, mentor engineers, and communicate clearly with global cross-functional teams.
• Experience with relational databases or SQL, test-data schemas, or data-analysis and reporting pipelines is a plus.
• Experience with pre-silicon validation, FPGA or emulation platforms, silicon bring-up, or MCU SDK testing is a plus.
• Experience with using AI tools such as Cursor or OpenAI’s Codex to develop test code or debug issues is a plus.

Must be currently authorized to work in the United States for any employer. We do not sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment visas (now or in the future) for this role.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self-identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in Ambiq Micro, Inc.’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three-year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.