Description
Firmware Engineer
Team: R&D
Location: Palo Alto, CA
Commitment: Full-Time
Workplace Type: onsite
About Subsense
Subsense is a deep-tech company developing the world’s first non-surgical, bidirectional brain-computer interface powered by plasmonic and magnetoelectric nanoparticles. Our mission is to unlock direct communication between the human brain and AI - starting with medical applications such as stroke recovery and moving toward cognitive enhancement for healthy users. Headquartered in Palo Alto, Subsense brings together leading scientists and engineers to redefine the future of human–machine interaction.
The Opportunity
We are seeking a Firmware Engineer to design, implement, and optimize embedded firmware for experimental neurotechnology systems. This role sits at the intersection of hardware, software, and neuroscience, supporting real-time data acquisition, stimulation control, and system reliability for next-generation brain-computer interfaces. You will work closely with electrical engineers, data scientists, and neuroscientists to bring experimental hardware to life through robust, well-structured firmware. This role is ideal for an engineer who enjoys low-level systems, cares deeply about reliability and performance, and thrives in a fast-moving, research-driven startup environment.
Key Responsibilities
- Design, develop, and maintain embedded firmware for stimulation, sensing, and control systems.
- Implement real-time data acquisition, buffering, and communication between hardware and higher-level software systems.
- Collaborate with electrical engineers to bring up new hardware, debug interfaces, and validate system performance.
- Optimize firmware for timing accuracy, power efficiency, and reliability in experimental settings.
- Support integration with data pipelines and analysis tools used by research teams.
- Develop test utilities, diagnostics, and validation procedures for embedded systems.
- Maintain clear documentation for firmware architecture, interfaces, and experimental use.
- Support rapid prototyping and iteration cycles as hardware and experimental needs evolve.
What You'll Bring
- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
- Strong experience developing embedded firmware in C/C++ (or equivalent low-level languages).
- Experience working with microcontrollers, real-time systems, and hardware interfaces (SPI, I²C, UART, ADC/DAC).
- Comfort debugging firmware–hardware interactions using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and debuggers.
- Familiarity with real-time constraints, interrupt-driven systems, and resource-constrained environments.
- Experience collaborating with hardware and software teams in a cross-functional setting.
- Strong attention to detail and respect for experimental rigor and data integrity.
- Ability to operate in a fast-paced, early-stage startup environment with evolving requirements.
- Location: Palo Alto, CA.
Subsense is an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.
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