Firmware Jobs in San Francisco, CA
Firmware jobs in San Francisco are concentrated in SoMa, the Mission District, and the South Bay corridor, with strong demand from hardware startups, consumer electronics companies, and semiconductor firms employing firmware engineers across embedded systems, IoT, and wireless connectivity. Employers hiring right now include Tacit, OpenAI, and Neuralink. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Showing 5 of 195+ Firmware jobs
The Role
You will be a key contributor to the embedded firmware design and implementation of all our hardware products: Spotter, Smart Mooring, next generation platforms and Sofar’s new open hardware connectivity stack — Bristlemouth https://www.bristlemouth.org. You thrive in small and collaborative multidisciplinary teams, and are eager to pitch in to debug and solve gnarly issues. You take pride in your craft. You strive to improve the health of our oceans and planet by shipping a cohesive, elegant and impactful product.
This role will be working onsite from our Pier 28 office at least 3 days per week and reporting to our Senior Engineering Manager.
Some projects you’ll be a part of:
Building new Bristlemouth integrations for Spotter and Smart Mooring and evolving the open source Bristlemouth core APIs
Collaborating cross-functionally to build new features on existing platforms
Developing next generation platforms
Advanced research and experiments with new and emerging technologies
Integrated system testing, open ocean deployments, and the occasional throwing of things out of airplanes to see what breaks
Responsibilities
Design and implement efficient and maintainable FreeRTOS firmware with automated unit and integration tests in a mix of C and C++
Break down complex efforts into parallelizable work streams for your team
Implement host-side test, analysis and automation tools in Python
Participate in code reviews, brainstorms and whiteboard sessions with your team
Write crystal clear specifications and documentation for both external users and internal colleagues
Work alongside electrical and mechanical engineers in designing, integrating, testing and debugging systems
Advocating for the highest leverage features and fixes in product prioritization conversations
Execute frequent releases for internal proprietary firmware as well as open source Bristlemouth firmware, following test plans, building installers, writing release notes, and announcing the releases in friendly and inviting communications for wide audiences
Minimum Job Qualifications
Excellent communication and collaboration skills
Strong systems thinking ability
Solid foundation of software architecture principles
At least 5+ years of professional embedded firmware/software experience
Prior experience as a tech lead for a firmware team
Fluent in embedded C and C++
Comfortable in Python
Experience with FreeRTOS
Breadth of technology experience including multiple embedded platforms
An understanding of common hardware peripherals and interfaces
Bonus Points
Experience with multiple forms of radio telemetry
Experience with IPv6 networking
Experience with ARM Cortex-M0, M4, and M33 cores
Past work in IoT, robotics, drones and/or automotive products
A passion for or connection to the ocean
Compensation Range: $147K - $200K
The Role
You will be a key contributor to the embedded firmware design and implementation of all our hardware products: Spotter, Smart Mooring, next generation platforms and Sofar’s new open hardware connectivity stack — Bristlemouth https://www.bristlemouth.org. You thrive in small and collaborative multidisciplinary teams, and are eager to pitch in to debug and solve gnarly issues. You take pride in your craft. You strive to improve the health of our oceans and planet by shipping a cohesive, elegant and impactful product.
This role will be working onsite from our Pier 28 office at least 3 days per week and reporting to our Senior Engineering Manager.
Some projects you’ll be a part of:
Building new Bristlemouth integrations for Spotter and Smart Mooring and evolving the open source Bristlemouth core APIs
Collaborating cross-functionally to build new features on existing platforms
Developing next generation platforms
Advanced research and experiments with new and emerging technologies
Integrated system testing, open ocean deployments, and the occasional throwing of things out of airplanes to see what breaks
Responsibilities
Design and implement efficient and maintainable FreeRTOS firmware with automated unit and integration tests in a mix of C and C++
Break down complex efforts into parallelizable work streams for your team
Implement host-side test, analysis and automation tools in Python
Participate in code reviews, brainstorms and whiteboard sessions with your team
Write crystal clear specifications and documentation for both external users and internal colleagues
Work alongside electrical and mechanical engineers in designing, integrating, testing and debugging systems
Advocating for the highest leverage features and fixes in product prioritization conversations
Execute frequent releases for internal proprietary firmware as well as open source Bristlemouth firmware, following test plans, building installers, writing release notes, and announcing the releases in friendly and inviting communications for wide audiences
Minimum Job Qualifications
Excellent communication and collaboration skills
Strong systems thinking ability
Solid foundation of software architecture principles
At least 5+ years of professional embedded firmware/software experience
Prior experience as a tech lead for a firmware team
Fluent in embedded C and C++
Comfortable in Python
Experience with FreeRTOS
Breadth of technology experience including multiple embedded platforms
An understanding of common hardware peripherals and interfaces
Bonus Points
Experience with multiple forms of radio telemetry
Experience with IPv6 networking
Experience with ARM Cortex-M0, M4, and M33 cores
Past work in IoT, robotics, drones and/or automotive products
A passion for or connection to the ocean
Compensation Range: $147K - $200K
See All 195+ Firmware Jobs in San Francisco
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Find Firmware JobsFirmware Job Market in San Francisco
Who's Hiring
- Tacit18
- OpenAI18
- Neuralink18
- iRhythm Technologies18
- Lyft9
Top Industries Hiring
- Science & Research44
- Technology & Software44
- Healthcare & Medical Services27
- Artificial Intelligence18
- Retail9
Firmware Jobs in San Francisco: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a firmware job in San Francisco?
The strongest path into firmware work in San Francisco runs through the city's hardware startup ecosystem in SoMa and the broader Bay Area semiconductor cluster. Companies developing consumer electronics, medical devices, and connected hardware are the most active local hirers. Proficiency in C or C++, experience with RTOS environments, and hands-on embedded systems work on a personal or open-source project give candidates a concrete edge in this market.
Which companies hire firmwares in San Francisco?
Companies currently hiring firmwares in San Francisco include Tacit, OpenAI, and Neuralink, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. San Francisco's hiring pool skews toward venture-backed hardware startups and mid-size consumer electronics brands alongside a smaller number of established semiconductor and medical device firms with Bay Area engineering offices.
Are there remote firmware jobs in San Francisco?
Yes, though firmware roles are less remote-friendly than purely software positions because hands-on lab access, hardware bring-up, and device testing typically require on-site presence. About 53% of firmware openings tied to San Francisco are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, with hybrid schedules being far more common than fully remote. Design-phase and code review work tends to be the most flexible portion of the role locally.
How can I get a firmware job in San Francisco with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path in San Francisco is through a hardware-focused startup that needs a junior firmware engineer willing to work across the full stack, from bootloaders to application code. Companies in the IoT and wearables space in SoMa frequently hire entry-level engineers who show personal project work on microcontrollers or development boards. Contract and internship roles at Bay Area electronics firms also convert to full-time positions regularly for candidates who demonstrate debugging and bring-up skills early.
Which industries hire the most firmwares in San Francisco?
Most firmware openings in San Francisco sit in Science & Research, Technology & Software, and Healthcare & Medical Services, per current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. San Francisco's position as the center of the Bay Area hardware startup ecosystem means consumer electronics, connected medical devices, and semiconductor design firms collectively generate the largest share of local firmware demand throughout the year.
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