Sr. Staff Firmware Engineer (Embedded OTA & Uptane Security Platform)

Department: ENGINEERING

Location: Sunnyvale, United States

Employment Type: FullTime

We are looking for the best

About Us

42dot is a mobility AI company committed to solving mobility challenges with software and AI. As the Global Software Center of Hyundai Motor Group, 42dot pioneers the future of mobility by advancing the development of software-defined vehicles. 

We develop safety-first, user-centric software-defined vehicle technologies that deliver the latest performance through continuous updates like smartphones. By advancing software and AI technology, 42dot envisions a world where everything is connected and moves autonomously through a self-managing urban transportation operating system.

About the Role

As a Sr. Staff Firmware Engineer, you will architect the next-generation, on-device Over-the-Air (OTA) update framework for our Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) platform. This is a pure firmware role focusing on high availability, extreme durability, and uncompromising backend-to-device cryptographic security natively built on the Uptane standard.

You will design the client-side embedded software responsible for safely receiving, orchestrating, and validating large-scale software updates across a distributed network of control units. Your mission is to develop a zero-downtime, compromise-resilient update platform that guarantees vehicles never experience a "bricked" state or partial-update corruption, while acting as the definitive technical bridge between embedded vehicle subsystems and our cloud infrastructure team.

Responsibilities

• Uptane Architecture Ownership: Lead the on-device design and implementation of an automotive-grade Uptane client framework.

• Establish distinct software verification paths for high-performance Primary ECUs acting as security gateways and resource-constrained edge Secondary ECUs.

• Compromise-Resilient Security: Implement and maintain Uptane’s multi-repository validation systems. Secure the in-vehicle delivery pipeline by requiring cryptographic verification from both an automated backend (Director repository) and a secure, offline-keyed asset vault (Image repository) to prevent key compromise and mix-and-match attacks.

• Metadata Role Verification: Develop low-level firmware state machines to securely parse and validate Uptane-structured cryptographic payloads, verifying signatures and thresholds across separate organizational roles (Root, Timestamp, Snapshot, and Targets).

Qualifications

• End-to-End Update Orchestration: Oversee complex vehicle-level software "bundles." Synchronize dependency tracking, resolve software compatibility matrices across multiple internal networks, and ensure atomic execution during the flashing cycle.

• On-Device & Cloud Integration: Act as the core technical bridge to the Cloud/Infrastructure team.

• Co-design optimal edge-to-cloud interfaces, secure time-attestation protocols, vehicle version manifests, and custom Uptane transport layer profiles (POUFs).

Preferred Qualifications

• High-Durability Partition & Memory Architecture: Optimize background payload streaming using asymmetric A/B slot update switching, dual-bank execution, and fast runtime validation fallback loops.

• Bandwidth & Storage Optimization: Implement advanced on-device patching algorithms and delta-compression engines to maximize internal flash lifespan (eMMC, UFS, QSPI) and minimize bus bandwidth.

• Deterministic Firmware Development: Write high-performance, safety-critical code using C for bare-metal systems, custom bootloaders, and RTOS kernels. Utilize Python exclusively for host-side tooling, secure payload wrapping.

Interview Process

• Application Review - Coding Test - 1st interview - 2nd interview - Offer Negotiation - Hiring

• The screening procedures may vary depending on the position, schedule, or other circumstances.

  You will be individually notified of the screening schedule and results via the email address provided in your application.

Compensation

• $189,240 - $266,760

Additional Information

• In accordance with fair hiring practices, do not include any personal information unrelated to your job qualifications (e.g., Social Security Number, family relations, marital status, age, photo, physical condition, place of birth, etc.) in your resume.

• All documents must be submitted in PDF format and under 30MB in size.

• If you experience issues uploading your resume, please send it along with the job posting URL to recruit@42dot.ai.

• We strongly encourage applications from U.S. veterans and candidates eligible for employment preference under applicable laws.

• Qualified individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

• 42dot does not accept unsolicited resumes and will not pay fees for any such submissions. Equal Opportunity Statement

• 42dot is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status.

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