Embedded Software Engineer

San Francisco CA. On site. Full time.

Advantra is partnering with an early stage cybersecurity startup in San Francisco to hire an Embedded Software Engineer to build and scale core emulation and fuzzing infrastructure for firmware analysis.

You will architect and implement tools to analyze and test firmware across multiple CPU architectures and operating systems. You will develop algorithms that balance emulation fidelity and performance reverse engineer firmware binaries to uncover vulnerabilities and deliver robust solutions. You will work directly with founders and customers to shape product direction and continuously improve infrastructure and features.

1. Engineer scalable platform enhancements for diverse CPU architectures and real-time operating systems.
   

2. Analyze and reverse-engineer firmware binaries to identify vulnerabilities.
   

3. Design algorithms that balance emulation fidelity and performance.
   

4. Participate in architecture design and code reviews for robust solutions.
   

5. Develop prototypes to validate design concepts and quantify technical constraints.
   

6. Gather and incorporate customer feedback to improve product features.
   

7. Maintain and extend fuzzing and emulation infrastructure.
   

8. Collaborate with engineering teams to integrate security testing tools.
   

1. 3 years professional experience in embedded or low-level systems development.
   

2. Proficiency in C C or Rust.
   

3. Bachelors degree in Computer Science Engineering Mathematics or related STEM discipline; OR 5 years professional experience in lieu of a degree.
   

4. Experience building software for multiple CPU architectures and OS environments.
   

5. Strong debugging performance optimization and testing skills.
   

6. Understanding of kernels operating systems memory and hardware interactions.
   

7. Ability to work directly with customers and incorporate feedback.
   

8. Experience in fast-paced startup or small engineering team environments.
   

9. Willingness to work extended hours and weekends as needed.
   

10. Located in or willing to relocate to the SF Bay Area.
    

1. Experience with reverse engineering tools like Ghidra IDA Pro or Binary Ninja.
   

2. Knowledge of emulator frameworks such as QEMU and Tiny Code Generator (TCG).
   

3. Familiarity with instruction set architectures like ARM MIPS or RISC-V.
   

4. Prior experience in device security and reverse engineering.
   

5. Understanding of cybersecurity best practices and standards.
   

Competitive base plus equity.

Email with links to shipped work and a short note on what you owned. Company name shared after the intro.

Advantra-Upstart Crew is a search program inside Advantra Consulting. We partner with early stage and high growth startups to hire the top 2% in Tech and GTM. We run end to end searches from single role headhunts to full team build outs using domain experts and a vetted network to deliver tight shortlists. We stay close to founders and candidates so the relationship lasts beyond the first hire.