Embedded Software Engineer Visa Sponsorship Jobs in California
Embedded software engineer visa sponsorship jobs in California are concentrated in Silicon Valley, San Diego, and Los Angeles, where companies like Qualcomm, Apple, Tesla, Intel, and NVIDIA hire for firmware, RTOS, and low-level systems roles. California's semiconductor and automotive tech industries create consistent demand for embedded engineers with specialized hardware-software expertise.
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Get Access To All JobsINTRODUCTION
Physical Intelligence is bringing general-purpose AI into the physical world. We are a team of engineers, scientists, roboticists, and company builders developing foundation models and learning algorithms to power the robots of today and the physically-actuated devices of the future.
The team
This role is part of the Runtime team, but will include deep collaboration with the Research, Hardware, and Fleet teams.
In this role you will:
- Drive the architecture and implementation of embedded firmware for devices crucial to PI’s data collection goals
- Work with hardware and software teams to ensure the new devices we are building work seamlessly with existing and future data pipelines
- Embedded Linux System Bring-up: Lead the integration of embedded Linux devices with real-time sensor processing. This includes developing drivers for high-speed sensors, BSP development and customization, kernel configuration and debugging, hardware bring-up, and performance tuning across the hardware/software boundary.
- Hardware/Software Debugging: Use hardware abstraction tools and laboratory equipment to identify and resolve complex timing issues, race conditions, and hardware-software interface bugs.
- Power Optimization: Analyze and reduce power consumption for battery-operated devices, including on radio sleep states and sensor low-power modes.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- BS/MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
- Strong software engineering and infrastructure skills, including building data pipelines, evaluation frameworks, and tools for rapid iteration.
- Comfort working hands-on with hardware.
- Strong communication skills for collaborating with hardware, software, and research teams.
- Demonstrated experience leading initiatives from concept to production on aggressive schedules, and turning ambiguous product goals into functional requirements.
- Experience leading initial board bring-up and software design for first-of-their-kind embedded devices.
- Hands-on experience with SPI, I2C, UART, USB, and the ability to debug complex hardware-software interactions.
- Experience architecting, implementing and debugging concurrent and multithreaded firmware services.
- Deep understanding of modern operating systems, computer architecture, and trade-offs between compute, memory, and storage.
- Experience bringing up and integrating sensors on embedded systems; camera system bring-up, integration, and tuning is a plus.
- Proficiency in C++.
- Familiarity with Bash scripting and Python for tooling and automation.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Nice to have: Direct experience with Linux Kernel development, including writing or debugging drivers, managing device trees, or optimizing kernel-space performance.
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
INTRODUCTION
Physical Intelligence is bringing general-purpose AI into the physical world. We are a team of engineers, scientists, roboticists, and company builders developing foundation models and learning algorithms to power the robots of today and the physically-actuated devices of the future.
The team
This role is part of the Runtime team, but will include deep collaboration with the Research, Hardware, and Fleet teams.
In this role you will:
- Drive the architecture and implementation of embedded firmware for devices crucial to PI’s data collection goals
- Work with hardware and software teams to ensure the new devices we are building work seamlessly with existing and future data pipelines
- Embedded Linux System Bring-up: Lead the integration of embedded Linux devices with real-time sensor processing. This includes developing drivers for high-speed sensors, BSP development and customization, kernel configuration and debugging, hardware bring-up, and performance tuning across the hardware/software boundary.
- Hardware/Software Debugging: Use hardware abstraction tools and laboratory equipment to identify and resolve complex timing issues, race conditions, and hardware-software interface bugs.
- Power Optimization: Analyze and reduce power consumption for battery-operated devices, including on radio sleep states and sensor low-power modes.
BASIC QUALIFICATIONS
- BS/MS in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
- Strong software engineering and infrastructure skills, including building data pipelines, evaluation frameworks, and tools for rapid iteration.
- Comfort working hands-on with hardware.
- Strong communication skills for collaborating with hardware, software, and research teams.
- Demonstrated experience leading initiatives from concept to production on aggressive schedules, and turning ambiguous product goals into functional requirements.
- Experience leading initial board bring-up and software design for first-of-their-kind embedded devices.
- Hands-on experience with SPI, I2C, UART, USB, and the ability to debug complex hardware-software interactions.
- Experience architecting, implementing and debugging concurrent and multithreaded firmware services.
- Deep understanding of modern operating systems, computer architecture, and trade-offs between compute, memory, and storage.
- Experience bringing up and integrating sensors on embedded systems; camera system bring-up, integration, and tuning is a plus.
- Proficiency in C++.
- Familiarity with Bash scripting and Python for tooling and automation.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
- Nice to have: Direct experience with Linux Kernel development, including writing or debugging drivers, managing device trees, or optimizing kernel-space performance.
Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Embedded Software Engineer Job Roles in California
See all 156+ Embedded Software Engineer Jobs in California
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Search Embedded Software Engineer Jobs in CaliforniaEmbedded Software Engineer Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies sponsor visas for embedded software engineers in California?
Qualcomm and Broadcom in San Diego, Apple and Intel in the Bay Area, and Tesla in Fremont and Palo Alto are among the most active sponsors for embedded software engineers in California. Aerospace and defense contractors such as Northrop Grumman and Raytheon also file sponsorships for embedded roles, particularly for firmware and real-time systems positions that require niche hardware expertise.
Which visa types are most common for embedded software engineer roles in California?
The H-1B visa is the most common visa for embedded software engineers in California, as the role typically qualifies as a specialty occupation requiring a bachelor's degree or higher in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or a related field. Candidates from Australia may pursue the E-3 visa. Canadian and Mexican nationals often qualify under TN visa status using the engineer or computer systems analyst category.
Which cities in California have the most embedded software engineer sponsorship jobs?
San Diego leads for embedded sponsorship jobs due to Qualcomm's large firmware and modem engineering presence. The San Francisco Bay Area, including Santa Clara and San Jose, is the second major hub with semiconductor and consumer electronics employers. Los Angeles and Irvine also have active hiring, particularly from aerospace, automotive tech, and IoT-focused companies operating in Southern California.
How to find embedded software engineer visa sponsorship jobs in California?
Migrate Mate filters job listings specifically by visa sponsorship availability, so you can search embedded software engineer roles in California without sorting through positions that don't sponsor. The platform surfaces openings from companies with active H-1B and E-3 visa filing histories, which is particularly useful for embedded roles where sponsorship willingness varies significantly across employers in California's semiconductor and automotive tech sectors.
Are there state-specific considerations for embedded software engineers seeking sponsorship in California?
California's prevailing wage requirements under DOL rules apply to H-1B petitions and are set by the specific work location, meaning rates in San Jose or San Diego will differ from less expensive metro areas. Many embedded engineers in California enter through university pipelines at UC San Diego, Stanford, and UC Berkeley, which have strong industry ties to local semiconductor and firmware-focused employers that regularly sponsor new graduates.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored embedded software engineer jobs in California?
U.S. employers sponsoring a visa must pay at least the prevailing wage, which is what workers in the same role, area, and experience level typically earn. The Department of Labor sets this rate to make sure companies aren't hiring foreign workers simply because they'd accept lower pay than a U.S. worker. It varies by job title, location, and experience. You can look up current prevailing wage rates for any occupation and location using the OFLC Wage Search page.