# Senior Staff Firmware Engineer

**Company:** [Carbon](https://hotfix.jobs/companies/carbon)
**Location:** Sunnyvale, CA
**Role:** Embedded Engineering
**Salary:** $182k – $314k/yr
**Experience:** 7+ years
**Skills:** C, C++, Python, Ti-Rtos, Arm, Ti Microcontrollers, Usb, I2C, Spi, Uart, Git, Altium Designer, Protobuf, Nanopb, Motor Control
**Posted:** 2026-08-13

> Leads firmware architecture and a technical team developing real-time embedded control systems for smart hardware. The role requires 7+ years of firmware experience, strong C/C++ and Python skills, circuit-level debugging expertise, and technical leadership.

## Job Description

## Responsibilities
- Lead the firmware engineering team and represent firmware priorities in cross-functional design discussions.
- Partner with Electrical, Mechanical, Software, and Systems Engineering to design, validate, and ship products.
- Write drivers and state machines for custom PCBs in collaboration with electrical engineering.
- Build firmware within mechanical design constraints.
- Integrate firmware into the software update pipeline, help develop firmware build systems, and debug firmware-to-software communication.
- Debug test hardware and resolve customer issues.
- Write firmware to actuate smart hardware devices, including sensor integration, signal processing, motor control, and feedback control system design.
- Develop and maintain real-time C/C++ firmware on TI/ARM platforms using TI-RTOS.
- Build unit, board, and regression tests in C++ and Python using test-driven development.
- Define and implement firmware development best practices.
- Mentor junior engineers and support electrical and systems engineers working in firmware.

## Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, or a related field.
- 7+ years of firmware engineering experience.
- Deep experience with C, C++, and Python.
- Strong understanding of analog and digital circuits, including the ability to read electrical schematics and relate them to firmware tasks.
- Experience with TI microcontrollers and communication interfaces such as USB, I2C, SPI, UART, and custom serial protocols.
- Proficiency with version control systems such as Git.
- Skill in circuit- and system-level debugging using multimeters, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and other bench equipment.
- Demonstrated technical leadership or mentorship experience within an engineering team.

## Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with Altium Designer.
- Familiarity with Field-Oriented Control (FOC) of PMSM motors.
- Experience with in-circuit testing of PCBAs.
- Ability to troubleshoot board-level issues alongside electrical engineering.
- Experience with Protobuf and nanopb.
- Bootloader or similar OTA update tools development experience.

## Compensation and Benefits
- Compensation range: **$182,400–$314,400 per year**.
- The targeted hiring midpoint range is **$228,000–$262,000**, based on experience, work location, certifications, and relevant skills.
- Eligible employees receive equity, benefits, and time-off programs.

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