Firmware Engineer

Location: Santa Clara CA (primarily onsite)

Group: Analyzer Product Group (APG) Engineering

Role Summary

Picarro is seeking a Firmware Engineer with an AI-First mindsetan embedded engineer who designs builds and integrates production-grade firmware for advanced CRDS instrumentation while expertly directing AI agents to accelerate development testing and integration workflows. You will prompt guide and orchestrate AI coding and testing agents to generate high-quality embedded code automate board bring-up tasks and drive continuous validation across hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) and system-level tests.

This role is ideal for engineers who thrive at the intersection of firmware engineering AI-assisted development embedded system architecture and prompt engineering.

Key Responsibilities

AI-First Firmware Architecture & System Integration

• Architect RTOS-based firmware components device drivers and board support packages (BSPs) using AI-accelerated design and review workflows
• Define and maintain system-level interfaces across firmware electronics and higher-level software (APIs comms and control boundaries)
• Direct AI agents to explore design alternatives evaluate trade-offs (latency power memory) and propose architecture-aligned implementations
• Integrate AI-driven performance reliability and scalability optimizations into the embedded platform
• Create manage and refine AI agents for code generation (drivers HAL) integration automation (builds flashing) and system-level orchestration

Hands-On Software Development with AI Collaboration

• Develop robust high-performance C/C firmware for microcontrollers (e.g. ARM Cortex-M) leveraging AI-generated scaffolding and iterative prompting
• Own device communications (SPI/I²C/UART/CAN/USB) bootloaders/DFU diagnostics logging/telemetry and power/performance modes
• Drive embedded API design and integration with application software and instrument control services
• Use AI agents as front-line testers to implement Test-Driven Development (TDD) generating comprehensive unit integration HIL/SIL and regression tests
• Apply advanced prompt engineering to guide assistants toward clean production-ready code and documentation
• Work confidently at softwarehardware boundaries using AI to model simulate or validate sensor interfaces and timing-critical paths

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with hardware product test/QA and manufacturing teamsusing AI agents as shared tools to unify workflows and accelerate iteration

Mentorship & AI-Driven Technical Influence

• Mentor peers in AI-assisted firmware practices: prompt engineering automated testing and agent management strategies
• Contribute as a thought partner on integrating AI into day-to-day engineering excellence

Engineering Process Quality & AI Automation

• Champion CI/CD for firmware (builds unit/HIL tests static analysis) enhanced via AI-agent automation
• Lead/participate in technical reviews with AI-augmented code review agents to enforce architecture and quality standards
• Establish continuous code-quality monitoring through specialized AI reviewer agents (style safety test coverage security)

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• BS/MS in Electrical Engineering Computer Engineering Computer Science or related field
• 37 years of hands-on embedded/firmware development with proven delivery of production systems
• Demonstrated experience with agentic AI-based development tools (e.g. GitHub Copilot Cursor) for embedded workflows
• Proven practice of TDD using both human-written and AI-generated tests as first-line verification
• Strong background in embedded systems and softwarehardware interfaces

Technical Expertise

• C/C for microcontrollers (ARM Cortex-M or similar); Python for tooling/test automation
• RTOS experience (e.g. FreeRTOS Zephyr ThreadX/QNX) including scheduling ISR design and concurrency
• Bootloaders/secure update (DFU/OTA) memory layouts startup code and linker scripts
• Drivers/HAL for SPI/I²C/UART/CAN/USB; DMA and low-power modes; sensor/actuator control loops
• Debugging & bring-up: JTAG/SWD oscilloscopes/logic analyzers current probes boundary-scan; fault analysis and reliability improvements
• Interfaces & protocols: BLE/Wi-Fi (as applicable) Modbus/RS-485 TCP/UDP; CRC/error handling; time synchronization
• Build & quality: CMake/Make unit tests (Unity/Catch2) static/dynamic analysis fuzzing and coverageorchestrated by AI-agents where applicable
• Prompt engineering proficiency to direct LLM-based agents for code generation refactoring and documentation
• Ability to manage multiple embedded domains concurrently (sensing comms safety UX on device)

Soft Skills

• Influences through technical credibility and cross-team alignment; excellent communication and documentation
• Strong code reviewer and advocate for engineering best practices; adapts quickly to evolving AI development tech

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with analytical instrumentation or scientific/industrial systems (ideally CRDS-based platforms)
• Knowledge of compliance/regulatory expectations for embedded systems in instrumentation
• Track record improving system-level design processes and scaling embedded architectures
• Advanced proficiency with agentic AI frameworks; demonstrated ability to integrate AI tools into real workflows (code generation refactoring docs)
• Depth with hardwaresoftware interfaces and embedded diagnostics
• Note: This role is designed for engineers ready to leverage their embedded firmware experience in a modern AI-enhanced development environmentblending traditional firmware craftsmanship with agentic AI development practices to ship reliable field-ready systems.

The base salary range for this full-time position is $150K to $160K. Our total compensation packages includes base salary bonus eligibility and equity. Your base salary range and title will be determined based on the location experience qualification skills knowledge level and pay of employees in similar positions.

We offer a comprehensive benefit package including:

• Medical Dental and Vision insurance
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and Health Savings Account (HSA) plans
• Life Short-Term Disability and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Paid Time Off and Paid Holidays
• Employee Referral Program
• 401K
• Social events (summer picnic holiday party team lunches etc.)
• On-site Health & Wellness programs (fitness challenges outdoor bootcamp flu-shots etc.)

About Picarro:

We are the worlds leader in timely trusted and actionable data using enhanced optical spectroscopy. Our solutions are used in a wide variety of applications including natural gas leak detection ethylene oxide emissions monitoring semiconductor fabrication pharmaceutical petrochemical atmospheric science air quality greenhouse gas measurements food safety hydrology ecology and more. Our software and hardware are designed and manufactured in Santa Clara California and are used in over 90 countries worldwide based on over 65 patents related to cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) technology and are unparalleled in their precision ease of use and reliability.

At Picarro we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race sex color religion national origin protected veteran status gender identity social orientation or disability. Posted positions are not open to third-party recruiters/agencies and unsolicited resume submissions will be considered free referrals.

At Picarro we strive to ensure that all individuals regardless of their abilities have equal opportunities. If you are an individual with a disability and require reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process or are limited in the ability or unable to access or use this online application process and need an alternative method for applying please contact Picarro Inc. assistance.