Staff Embedded Software Engineer

THE POSITION

Saildrone is seeking a Staff Embedded Software Engineer to join our Firmware team. Reporting to the Director of Firmware Engineering, you’ll be leading the definition, design, and validation of firmware and embedded systems deployed across our entire fleet of world-class USVs. We are looking for a seasoned technical leader who will focus on real-time operating systems, low-level drivers, and power-efficient edge computing, as well as integrating the diverse suite of sensors, actuators, and communication devices essential for each vessel's autonomous navigation at sea.

This role is required to be onsite in Alameda, CA in the Bay Area 3 days per week - this is our hybrid model. This is not a remote position.

THE TEAM

The Firmware team is responsible for the architecture, development, and sustainment of the embedded software and real-time control systems that power Saildrone’s Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs). We engineer the resilient, high-performance devices that form the mission-critical foundation of our fleet, delivering dependable and persistent operations in some of the most extreme environments in the world.

THE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Embedded Architecture: Lead the design, implementation, and validation of embedded software systems to meet stringent performance and safety requirements for reliable and successful long-duration missions.
• Technical Ownership: Own the strategic direction for device architecture, hardware abstraction layers, and embedded computing subsystems, ensuring a robust backbone for all autonomous platforms.
• Firmware Delivery: Drive the end-to-end development of mission-critical firmware targeting RTOS-based or bare-metal applications, balancing real-time constraints with system-level reliability.
• Validation Strategy: Define and execute comprehensive test and quality assurance strategies, including hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing, to ensure every system meets maritime, defense, and regulatory standards.
• Cross-Functional Integration: Partner with Mechanical, Electrical, and Software teams to resolve sensor integration, communication protocols, and system-level dependencies for seamless vehicle integration.
• Fleet Reliability: Act as the guiding source of root-cause analysis and diagnosis of complex firmware failures within R&D and across deployed global fleets of drones.
• Design Standards: Establish and institutionalize embedded design standards, coding guidelines, and CI/CD workflows to ensure technical rigor and team scalability.
• Technical Mentorship: Provide high-level technical leadership and mentorship across programs, building the technical depth of the engineering team and ensuring design excellence.

THE QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree or equivalent experience in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• 8+ years of experience designing embedded systems and firmware for complex, high-reliability products.
• Deep expertise in developing C/C++ for both real-time operating systems (such as FreeRTOS or Zephyr) and bare-metal applications.
• Significant experience working with embedded microcontrollers (such as Cortex-M) and their corresponding toolchains, programming models, and resource constraints.
• Proven proficiency in low-level driver development (such as SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, or Ethernet) and board bring-up.
• Working knowledge of sensors, actuators, and control systems as they apply to industrial robotics or vehicle applications.
• Practical experience in secure boot mechanisms, OTA update architectures, and embedded system design for modern cybersecurity requirements.
• Demonstrated ability to solve complex technical problems in fast-paced and high-reliability environments.