Embedded Systems Engineer Visa Sponsorship Jobs in California
California is one of the most active states for embedded systems engineer visa sponsorship, driven by aerospace and defense contractors in Los Angeles, semiconductor firms in Silicon Valley, and automotive tech companies in the Bay Area. Major employers include Qualcomm, Apple, NVIDIA, Northrop Grumman, and Broadcom, making California a top destination for international embedded systems engineers.
Find Embedded Systems Engineer JobsOverview
Showing 5 of 655+ Embedded Systems Engineer Jobs in California with Visa Sponsorship
See all 655+ Embedded Systems Engineer Jobs in California with Visa Sponsorship
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new Embedded Systems Engineer Jobs in California with Visa Sponsorship.
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 Systems Engineer Job Roles in California
See all 655+ Embedded Systems Engineer Jobs in California
Sign up for free to filter by visa type, set job alerts, and find employers with verified sponsorship history.
Search Embedded Systems Engineer Jobs in CaliforniaEmbedded Systems Engineer Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies sponsor visas for embedded systems engineers in California?
California has a strong concentration of employers with established visa sponsorship programs for embedded systems engineers. Qualcomm in San Diego regularly sponsors H-1B visa petitions for firmware and hardware engineers. Apple, NVIDIA, and Broadcom in the Bay Area hire embedded engineers across silicon, drivers, and firmware teams. Northrop Grumman and Raytheon in Southern California also sponsor for defense-adjacent embedded roles, though security clearance requirements can complicate eligibility for some visa holders.
Which visa types are most common for embedded systems engineer roles in California?
The H-1B is the most common visa for embedded systems 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 closely related field. Australians may pursue the E-3 visa as an alternative. Engineers already in the U.S. on F-1 OPT, including the 24-month STEM OPT extension, are frequently hired by California employers before transitioning to H-1B sponsorship.
Which cities in California have the most embedded systems engineer sponsorship jobs?
San Jose and the broader Bay Area lead in embedded systems engineer sponsorship jobs, anchored by semiconductor and consumer electronics companies. San Diego is a significant hub due to Qualcomm's large embedded and firmware engineering footprint, alongside telecom and wireless firms. Los Angeles and the South Bay attract embedded engineers through aerospace and defense contractors. Irvine and Santa Clara also have meaningful concentrations tied to networking hardware and chip design companies.
How to find embedded systems engineer visa sponsorship jobs in California?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for international engineers seeking visa sponsorship roles in the U.S., including embedded systems engineer positions in California. You can filter by state and role to surface employers who have an active history of sponsoring work visas for embedded engineers. This is more targeted than general job searches because Migrate Mate focuses on sponsorship-willing employers, which is the critical filter for international candidates in a specialized field like embedded systems.
Are there any California-specific considerations for embedded systems engineers seeking visa sponsorship?
California's concentration of defense and aerospace employers introduces a notable consideration: many embedded systems roles at contractors like Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon require access to classified information, which generally excludes non-U.S. citizens and non-permanent residents. Engineers should confirm whether a target role has security clearance requirements before applying. University pipelines from UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC San Diego, and Stanford supply a large share of embedded talent, making California employers experienced with F-1 OPT and STEM extension hiring.
What is the prevailing wage for sponsored embedded systems 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.