Embedded Systems Engineer Jobs in California
Embedded Systems Engineer jobs in California are among the most active in the country, concentrated in aerospace and defense, consumer electronics, automotive technology, and semiconductor design across a seniority range from entry-level firmware developers through principal systems architects. The largest hiring markets are San Jose, San Diego, and Los Angeles, where companies like Qualcomm, Northrop Grumman, and Apple maintain deep embedded engineering teams. The most in-demand specialties right now are real-time operating systems, hardware-software integration, and RISC-V and ARM architecture development. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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We're ALTEN Technology USA, an engineering company helping clients bring groundbreaking ideas to life—from advancing space exploration and life-saving medical devices to building autonomous electric vehicles. With 3,000+ experts across North America, we partner with leading companies in aerospace, medical devices, robotics, automotive, commercial vehicles, EVs, rail, and more.
As part of the global ALTEN Group—57,000+ engineers in 30 countries—we deliver across the entire product development cycle, from consulting to full project outsourcing.
When you join ALTEN Technology USA, you'll collaborate on some of the world's toughest engineering challenges, supported by mentorship, career growth opportunities, and comprehensive benefits. We take pride in fostering a culture where employees feel valued, supported, and inspired to grow.
Workplace: On-Site, 5 days
Location: Foster City, CA
We are looking for an Embedded Systems Security Engineer to implement security solution to harden our next-generation embedded Linux platform. In this role, you will bridge the gap between low-level hardware security, kernel hardening, and secure user-space application containment. You will not only design cryptographic defense mechanisms but will also automate security pipelines in CI/CD and partner directly with manufacturing teams to ensure devices are provisioned securely and reliably at scale without production risks.
- Platform Hardening & Architecture: Design and implement the Hardware Root of Trust and Secure Boot architecture from the first-stage bootloader through the Linux kernel.
- Storage & Integrity Management: Implement dm-verity for cryptographically verified read-only root filesystems and secure data encryption at rest.
- Trusted Execution Environments: Develop, integrate, and maintain a TEE (e.g., OP-TEE) and author Secure/Trusted Applications (TAs).
- Application Sandboxing: Enforce strict user-space isolation and sandboxing strategies using SELinux, AppArmor, cgroups, namespaces, and seccomp filters to protect core systems from untrusted applications.
- DevSecOps Automation: Build automated cryptographic signing pipelines within CI/CD infrastructure (e.g., GitLab CI, GitHub Actions) to securely sign bootloaders, kernels, and OTA payloads using HSMs or secure key vaults.
- Production Provisioning Support: Collaborate with manufacturing teams to write robust scripts and tools for burning permanent hardware configuration fuses (eFuses / OTP memory) securely, designing end-of-line (EOL) test software to validate security features before shipping.
- System Resilience: Architect multi-slot boot recovery layouts (e.g., A/B partitioning) to guarantee fail-safe resilience against failed OTA updates or corrupted boots.
- Education: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline (or equivalent practical experience).
- Core Experience: 6+ years of professional experience in Embedded Linux development, board bring-up, and Board Support Package (BSP) customization.
- Security Focus: 3+ years of dedicated, hands-on experience deploying device-level security features into physical production hardware.
- Low-Level Systems: Expert knowledge of bootloader configurations (e.g., U-Boot Verified Boot, Barebox) and customizing the Linux kernel storage/security subsystem (dm-crypt, dm-verity).
- Hardware Security Architecture: Deep understanding of modern processor security architectures, specifically ARM TrustZone (ARMv7-A / ARMv8-A, Exception Levels EL1–EL3).
- Sandboxing & Access Controls: Proven track record implementing SELinux/AppArmor policies and utilizing standard Linux containment tools (cgroups, namespaces).
- Build Automation: Proficiency with embedded Linux build automated frameworks like the Yocto Project (BitBake recipe design) or Buildroot.
- Programming: Advanced proficiency in C and strong scripting skills in Python or Bash.
- Cryptography Expertise: Strong foundational knowledge of symmetric/asymmetric cryptography, hashing algorithms (SHA-256/384), public key infrastructure (PKI), and handling physical Hardware Security Modules (HSMs).
- Manufacturing Scale: Prior experience working with Contract Manufacturers (CMs) or internal factory lines to deploy secure key-injection and fuse-burning protocols.
- Advanced Sandboxing: Experience with embedded container runtimes (e.g., LXC, crun) or lightweight sandboxing frameworks tailored for resource-constrained architectures.
- Anti-Rollback Protection: Experience designing secure versioning and hardware-enforced anti-rollback strategies for OTA updates.
- $120,000 - 150,000
- The actual salary offered is dependent on various factors including, but not limited to, location, the candidate's combination of job-related knowledge, qualifications, skills, education, training, and experience
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, age, genetic information, or pregnancy.
Please beware of job seeker scams and see this important notice on our careers page for more information about our recruiting process.
Compliance Notice: Alten USA is a federal contractor subject to the requirements of the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) and Executive Order 11246. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.
Drug Screening Requirement: As a federal contractor, Alten USA maintains a drug-free workplace. All candidates selected for employment will be required to successfully complete a pre-employment drug screening as a condition of hire.
See All 60 Embedded Systems Engineer Jobs in California
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Find JobsEmbedded Systems Engineer Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Embedded Systems Engineer Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring



Top Industries Hiring
- Science & Research
- Manufacturing
- Technology & Software
- Consulting & Professional Services
- Retail
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in embedded systems engineer jobs across California.
- Bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or computer science required
- Proficiency in C and C++ for embedded and firmware development at the hardware level
- Experience with real-time operating systems such as FreeRTOS, VxWorks, or Zephyr
- Familiarity with hardware debugging tools including JTAG, oscilloscopes, and logic analyzers
- Knowledge of communication protocols including CAN, SPI, I2C, UART, and Ethernet
- Experience with version control systems and embedded software development lifecycles
Embedded Systems Engineer Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a embedded systems engineer in California?
Embedded systems engineering in California has no state-issued license, so the hiring path runs through education and demonstrated technical skills. Most California employers expect a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or computer science from an accredited program. Candidates who build firmware or hardware projects, contribute to open-source embedded repositories, or complete a senior capstone involving microcontrollers stand out. Professional Engineer licensure through the California Board for Professional Engineers is valued in aerospace and defense contexts but is not universally required.
How much do embedded systems engineers make in California?
Embedded systems engineers in California earn a median of about $185,180 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $126,590 for the lowest 10% to over $281,210 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire embedded systems engineers in California?
Employers hiring embedded systems engineers in California right now include Zoox, Anduril, and AMD, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. California's concentration of aerospace primes, semiconductor foundries, and consumer electronics companies means embedded engineering hiring here is unusually broad across industries compared with most other states.
Which California cities have the most embedded systems engineer jobs?
San Diego, Irvine, and Foster City have the most embedded systems engineer openings in California. San Jose sits at the heart of Silicon Valley's semiconductor and consumer electronics ecosystem, San Diego is driven by Qualcomm and a dense cluster of defense and wireless companies, and Los Angeles draws volume from aerospace primes and automotive technology firms headquartered in the region.
Are there remote embedded systems engineer jobs in California?
Yes, but they're less common than in purely software-focused roles because embedded work often requires physical access to hardware, test benches, and lab equipment. About 29% of embedded systems engineer openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, and these tend to concentrate on firmware architecture, software bring-up, and design review work that can be done off-site without hands-on lab access.
How can I get hired as a embedded systems engineer in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is an associate or junior firmware engineer role at a mid-size California semiconductor or defense contractor, where new graduates are hired specifically to support senior engineers on board bring-up and driver development. Companies like Qualcomm and Northrop Grumman run structured new-grad programs for embedded and systems roles. Building a portfolio of microcontroller projects on platforms like STM32 or ESP32, earning an ARM Accredited Engineer credential, and targeting embedded test or hardware validation roles as lateral entry points all improve hiring odds without prior industry experience.
Where can I find and apply to embedded systems engineer jobs in California?
You can find and apply to embedded systems engineer jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings from employers actively hiring for the role. Find roles that fit your background and apply directly from the listing.
See All 60 Embedded Systems Engineer Jobs in California
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