Staff Firmware Architecture Engineer, Propulsion and Battery

ALSO.; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 210,000 - 245,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Robust health coverage

One Medical membership

Progyny fertility benefits

Flexible time off

401(k) match

Job summary

ALSO. is seeking a Staff Firmware Architecture Engineer, Propulsion and Battery in Palo Alto, CA to lead end-to-end firmware design for vehicle platforms.

You will own embedded software, drivers, bootloaders, and tooling across MCU families, collaborating with Electrical and Mechanical teams to ensure safety and performance. You have 7+ years in firmware, expert C, experience with RTOS, CI/CD, and model-based design, and you will drive architectural decisions for memory, boot times, and platform

Qualifications

• 7+ years firmware development in safety-critical environments.
• Experience as Software Architect with portable, maintainable code.
• Expert C programming; familiarity with C++, Python, Bash.
• Low-level firmware (drivers/bootloaders) and debugging with diagnostics tools.
• Understanding of EV drivetrains, battery tech, CAN/ADC sensors.
• Model-based design with MATLAB/Simulink; RTOS in safety-critical apps.
• CI/CD and test automation for software-enabled hardware products.

Responsibilities

• Lead hardware abstraction layer and MCU BSP design across MCU families.
• Support RTOS configuration, integration, and resource management.
• Develop frameworks for telemetry, firmware updates, and health monitoring.
• Contribute to Bazel-based build infra and CI/CD improvements.
• Define platform APIs and memory management decisions for the firmware stack.
• Optimize boot time and memory footprint; tune runtime performance.
• Collaborate with Electrical/Mechanical/Test teams to build reusable software.
• Provide vehicle system integration support, debugging, and root cause analysis.
• Drive firmware initiatives to ensure safety in powertrain and battery systems.

Skills

C programming

RTOS

Embedded software

Software architecture

Python

CI/CD

Debugging hardware

Communication

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in CS/EE/CE

Tools

MATLAB/Simulink

JTAG/oscilloscope

CI/CD tooling

RTOS tools

Job description

About ALSO.

We’re ALSO, an electric mobility company originally conceived as a part of Rivian. We’re a passionate team of builders, dreamers, doers and innovators, focused on creating entirely new (not to mention, innovative and delightful) vertically integrated, small EVs designed to meet the global mobility challenges of today and tomorrow. Our mission is to inspire everyone to ride ALSO—replacing many local car, truck and SUV miles with ones on vehicles that are more affordable, more enjoyable and 10-50x more efficient.

About ALSO.

We’re ALSO, an electric mobility company originally conceived as a part of Rivian. We’re a passionate team of builders, dreamers, doers and innovators, focused on creating entirely new (not to mention, innovative and delightful) vertically integrated, small EVs designed to meet the global mobility challenges of today and tomorrow. Our mission is to inspire everyone to ride ALSO—replacing many local car, truck and SUV miles with ones on vehicles that are more affordable, more enjoyable and 10-50x more efficient.

As a Staff Firmware Architecture Engineer, Propulsion and Battery at ALSO, you'll play a large role in platform-level firmware development, serving as a key contributor to the foundational software layers that enable all vehicle products, including drivers, real-time operating system integration, and build infrastructure. You'll own the end-to-end design, development, and testing of critical embedded software and tooling that supports the full scope of ALSO's products, and drive architectural decisions for the firmware platform and build systems that let teams efficiently develop, test, and deploy firmware across the product portfolio.

What You'll Do

• Lead architectural discussion supporting the design and implementation of hardware abstraction layers, peripheral drivers, and board support packages across MCU families
• Support RTOS configuration, integration, and optimization, driving decisions on OS selection, task architecture, and resource management
• Design and develop frameworks for core platform functions like telemetry generation, firmware updates, and health monitoring, in reusable, common libraries
• Contribute to Bazel-based build infrastructure and CI/CD improvements, ensuring reproducible builds, efficient dependency management, scalable build configurations, toolchain maintenance, and fast, reliable pipelines
• Contribute to coding standards, driver interface design, and platform APIs, making informed architectural decisions on MCU selection, memory management, and peripheral allocation
• Ensure architectural decisions support boot time optimization, memory footprint reduction, and runtime performance tuning across the platform
• Collaborate with other engineering disciplines (Electrical, Mechanical, Test, etc.) and other Firmware teams to design, document, and integrate robust, reusable, and scalable software across ECUs
• Provide vehicle system integration support, including feature implementation, ECU handshaking, debugging, and root cause analysis
• Drive firmware initiatives to ensure product quality and vehicle safety in the powertrain and battery systems

What You'll Bring

• B.S. or M.S. in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field
• 7+ years of experience in firmware development, ideally in safety-critical, time-sensitive, and resource-constrained environments
• Previous experience as a Software Architect, familiar with the attributes that make code portable, maintainable, and scalable
• Expert in C programming, ideally familiar with C++, Python, and bash scripting
• Experience delivering software-enabled hardware products, including low-level firmware development (drivers, bootloaders), with hands-on debugging in real-world environments using embedded diagnostics tooling such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and JTAG
• Strong understanding of control systems and system integration, with familiarity in electric drivetrains, battery technology, and common vehicle communication protocols and peripherals (e.g. ADC, CAN, force, IMU sensors)
• Familiarity with model-based design and software development tools such as MATLAB/Simulink
• Familiarity with real-time operating system platforms, ideally in functional-safety critical applications
• Familiarity with static analysis and linting tools to ensure software quality and correctness, and experience with CI/CD and test automation applied to consumer-facing, software-enabled hardware products
• Highly collaborative mindset and strong communication skills

The salary for this position ranges from $210,000 - $245,000 per year, depending on experience, qualifications, and location.

Perks & Benefits

• Robust health coverage — excellent health, dental and vision insurance covered up to 100% by ALSO with FSA & HSA options
• One Medical membership and dedicated insurance advocates
• Rich fertility and family building benefits with Progyny
• Flexible time off
• 401(k) match

Why ALSO.

We’re passionate about helping the world find a better way to get there—wherever it is you’re headed.

We’re located in the heart of Silicon Valley and have brought together a world-class team from some of the biggest brands in the technology, automotive, cycling, outdoor recreation and retail spaces.

Together we’re working hands-on to imagine, design and build an entirely new solution to a global set of transportation challenges.