Picarro · 17 hours ago
Firmware Engineer
Santa Clara, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Mid, Senior Level
$150K/yr - $160K/yr
3+ years expPicarro is the world's leader in timely, trusted, and actionable data using enhanced optical spectroscopy. They are seeking a Firmware Engineer with an AI-First mindset to design, build, and integrate production-grade firmware for advanced CRDS instrumentation while directing AI agents to enhance development workflows.
EnergyChemical & MaterialsRenewable EnergyManufacturingChemicalGreenTechOil and Gas
Responsibilities
Architect RTOS-based firmware components, device drivers, and board support packages (BSPs) using AI-accelerated design and review workflows
Define and maintain system-level interfaces across firmware, electronics, and higher-level software (APIs, comms, and control boundaries)
Direct AI agents to explore design alternatives, evaluate trade-offs (latency, power, memory), and propose architecture-aligned implementations
Integrate AI-driven performance, reliability, and scalability optimizations into the embedded platform
Create, manage, and refine AI agents for code generation (drivers, HAL), integration automation (builds, flashing), and system-level orchestration
Develop robust, high-performance C/C++ firmware for microcontrollers (e.g., ARM Cortex-M), leveraging AI-generated scaffolding and iterative prompting
Own device communications (SPI/I²C/UART/CAN/USB), bootloaders/DFU, diagnostics, logging/telemetry, and power/performance modes
Drive embedded API design and integration with application software and instrument control services
Use AI agents as front-line testers to implement Test-Driven Development (TDD), generating comprehensive unit, integration, HIL/SIL, and regression tests
Apply advanced prompt engineering to guide assistants toward clean, production-ready code and documentation
Work confidently at software–hardware boundaries, using AI to model, simulate, or validate sensor interfaces and timing-critical paths
Partner closely with hardware, product, test/QA, and manufacturing teams—using AI agents as shared tools to unify workflows and accelerate iteration
Mentor peers in AI-assisted firmware practices: prompt engineering, automated testing, and agent management strategies
Contribute as a thought partner on integrating AI into day-to-day engineering excellence
Champion CI/CD for firmware (builds, unit/HIL tests, static analysis), enhanced via AI-agent automation
Lead/participate in technical reviews with AI-augmented code review agents to enforce architecture and quality standards
Establish continuous code-quality monitoring through specialized AI reviewer agents (style, safety, test coverage, security)
Qualification
Required
BS/MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field
3–7 years of hands-on embedded/firmware development with proven delivery of production systems
Demonstrated experience with agentic AI-based development tools (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Cursor) for embedded workflows
Proven practice of TDD, using both human-written and AI-generated tests as first-line verification
Strong background in embedded systems and software–hardware interfaces
C/C++ for microcontrollers (ARM Cortex-M or similar); Python for tooling/test automation
RTOS experience (e.g., FreeRTOS, Zephyr, ThreadX/QNX) including scheduling, ISR design, and concurrency
Bootloaders/secure update (DFU/OTA), memory layouts, startup code, and linker scripts
Drivers/HAL for SPI/I²C/UART/CAN/USB; DMA and low-power modes; sensor/actuator control loops
Debugging & bring-up: JTAG/SWD, oscilloscopes/logic analyzers, current probes, boundary-scan; fault analysis and reliability improvements
Interfaces & protocols: BLE/Wi-Fi (as applicable), Modbus/RS-485, TCP/UDP; CRC/error handling; time synchronization
Build & quality: CMake/Make, unit tests (Unity/Catch2), static/dynamic analysis, fuzzing, and coverage—orchestrated by AI-agents where applicable
Prompt engineering proficiency to direct LLM-based agents for code generation, refactoring, and documentation
Ability to manage multiple embedded domains concurrently (sensing, comms, safety, UX on device)
Influences through technical credibility and cross-team alignment; excellent communication and documentation
Strong code reviewer and advocate for engineering best practices; adapts quickly to evolving AI development tech
Preferred
Experience with analytical instrumentation or scientific/industrial systems (ideally CRDS-based platforms)
Knowledge of compliance/regulatory expectations for embedded systems in instrumentation
Track record improving system-level design processes and scaling embedded architectures
Advanced proficiency with agentic AI frameworks; demonstrated ability to integrate AI tools into real workflows (code generation, refactoring, docs)
Depth with hardware–software interfaces and embedded diagnostics
Benefits
Medical, Dental, and Vision insurance
Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Savings Account (HSA) plans
Life, Short-Term Disability, and Long-Term Disability Insurance
Paid Time Off and Paid Holidays
Employee Referral Program
401K
Social events (summer picnic, holiday party, team lunches, etc.)
On-site Health & Wellness programs (fitness challenges, outdoor bootcamp, flu-shots, etc.)
Company
Picarro
Picarro produces gas analyzers for a variety of markets, including atmospheric science, greenhouse gas measurement, air quality, and others.
201-500 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Picarro has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (6)
2024 (4)
2023 (18)
2022 (15)
2021 (1)
2020 (9)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$56.5MKey Investors
Focus VenturesBenchmark
2012-07-25Series D· $7M
2004-12-14Series C· $15M
2003-06-04Series B· $12.5M
Leadership Team
Alexandre Balkanski
CEO
Recent News
2026-01-14
Company data provided by crunchbase