Flexhire · 1 month ago
Embedded Systems Engineering Lead — Agentic AI Platform
Flexhire is a stealth-mode startup focused on building the operating system for the next generation of computing. They are seeking a Firmware Engineering Lead to own hands-on firmware development and provide technical leadership to the engineering team, ensuring continuous development across time zones.
Software
No H1B
Responsibilities
This is a deeply hands-on firmware engineering role with a leadership dimension — not the other way around. It will involve designing firmware architectures, leading device bring-up sprints, as well as kernel level and user level device drivers authoring and integration
You will work directly with development hardware in the US, owning active firmware bring-up and development as part of a continuous engineering operation that runs across time zones. Your counterpart firmware engineers in Shenzhen work their shift. You work yours. Together you design and operate a handoff protocol that keeps development moving around the clock — and you are the person who designs that protocol
At the same time you are the technical authority for the Shenzhen firmware team — setting direction, reviewing work, unblocking engineers, and bridging the gap between hardware engineering execution and the US product and software leadership. You will also interface directly with our ODM and silicon partners in Taiwan and China, managing the technical relationships that keep hardware delivery on schedule
You will report directly to the CEO and travel to China and Taiwan regularly — approximately 25 to 30 percent of your time
Hands-on firmware development on development hardware in the US — active bring-up, driver development, debugging, and validation as a working engineer, not a reviewer
An around-the-clock engineering operation — design and implement the handoff protocol between the US and Shenzhen firmware teams that keeps development moving continuously across time zones
Firmware architecture across the full stack — bootloader, BSP, kernel configuration, device tree, HAL layer, sensor integration, and power architecture across both AOSP and RTOS platforms
AOSP bring-up and BSP development — Qualcomm platform primary, owning the stack from XBL and ABL through kernel, device tree, and HAL
RTOS development — as the platform transitions from AOSP to RTOS, you own that transition technically and ensure continuity of the firmware foundation
Technical leadership for the Shenzhen firmware team — setting engineering standards, reviewing architecture decisions, mentoring IC engineers across BSP, camera, sensors, audio, connectivity, and power domains
ODM and silicon vendor relationships — owning the technical interface with our ODM partner in Taiwan through NPI milestones and with silicon vendors on BSP delivery, driver packages, and technical support
Hardware-software integration — defining the interface between the firmware layer and the US software platform team, ensuring on-device AI inference, sensor data pipelines, and privacy architecture requirements are met at the firmware level
Qualification
Required
10+ years of firmware engineering experience with strong depth in consumer electronics — wearables, mobile, hearables, or adjacent hardware categories
Genuinely hands-on — you are a working engineer who writes production firmware code daily, not someone who reviews other people's work from a distance
Deep Qualcomm platform expertise — BSP bring-up, AOSP, Linux kernel configuration, device tree authoring, HAL implementation. You know the full stack from bootloader to HAL and can own work at every layer
Strong RTOS proficiency — you have built production firmware on RTOS platforms and can lead the technical transition from AOSP to RTOS as the platform evolves
Experience technically leading or managing a firmware engineering team — you have been the person other engineers look to for technical direction and you have made it work across time zones
Direct ODM experience — you have managed the technical relationship with a China or Taiwan based ODM through at least one full NPI cycle including EVT, DVT, and PVT
Comfort operating as a technical bridge — you communicate complex hardware realities to non-hardware audiences clearly, and you translate product requirements into hardware constraints that engineers can act on
Willingness and ability to travel to China and Taiwan regularly — approximately 25 to 30 percent of your time
Excellent written and verbal English
Must be authorized to work in the US
Preferred
Strong plus: BT and WiFi protocols specialization — BLE, LE Audio, A2DP, WiFi stack architecture & integration; BES or UNISOC platform experience; IMU, or eye tracking sensor driver development; always-on low-power firmware architecture
Benefits
Meaningful early-stage equity
Full medical, dental, and vision coverage
Remote US with approximately 25 to 30 percent travel to Shenzhen and Taiwan
Company
Flexhire
Global hiring, management, and payroll platform for remote teams.
Funding
Current Stage
Early StageLeadership Team
Brian McSweeney
Founder & CEO
Company data provided by crunchbase