ALSO is hiring a Platform Lead to spearhead platform-level firmware development, owning the foundational software layers that enable all our vehicle products. In this critical role, you'll serve as the primary point of contact for platform-related issues and drive architectural decisions for the firmware platform and build systems, working with a passionate team of builders and innovators.
What You'll Do
- Serve as the single point of contact for all platform-level firmware issues, including drivers, OS, and build system concerns.
- Lead the design and implementation of hardware abstraction layers, peripheral drivers, and board support packages across MCU families.
- Own RTOS configuration, integration, and optimization; drive decisions on OS selection, task architecture, and resource management.
- Manage and evolve the Bazel-based build infrastructure; ensure reproducible builds, efficient dependency management, and scalable build configurations across targets.
- Define and organize platform targets for each sprint in coordination with Vehicle Leads and Pod Leads, balancing infrastructure investments with product delivery needs.
- Partner with Vehicle Leads and Pod Leads to understand platform requirements; provide stable APIs and tooling that accelerate feature development.
- Establish and enforce coding standards, driver interfaces, and platform APIs; make informed architectural decisions on MCU selection, memory management, and peripheral allocation.
- Drive build and test infrastructure improvements; maintain toolchains, manage compiler/linker configurations, and ensure fast, reliable CI pipelines.
- Own platform documentation, onboarding guides, and developer tooling to improve team velocity and reduce friction.
- Lead efforts on boot time optimization, memory footprint reduction, and runtime performance tuning across the platform.
What We're Looking For
- 5+ years of experience in embedded software/firmware development, with demonstrated experience in platform, BSP, or infrastructure roles.
- MS in an engineering discipline, preferably Computer Science or Electrical Engineering.
- Expert-level driver development experience: I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, CAN-FD, GPIO, DMA, timers, ADC/DAC, and other MCU peripherals.
- Deep experience with real-time operating systems (FreeRTOS, Zephyr, ThreadX, or similar); understanding of scheduling, synchronization primitives, and memory management.
- Strong proficiency with Bazel or similar modern build systems (Buck, CMake at scale); experience managing complex multi-target embedded builds.
- Expert-level proficiency in C/C++ with deep understanding of embedded constraints (memory, timing, power).
- Experience with toolchain management: GCC/LLVM for ARM, linker scripts, startup code, and debugging tools (JTAG/SWD, trace).
- Strong understanding of hardware/software architecture tradeoffs: MCU selection, peripheral allocation, power domains.
- Experience with CI/CD pipelines for embedded development (build automation, static analysis, unit testing frameworks).
- Excellent communication skills with ability to document complex systems and support cross-functional teams.
- Ability to work independently as a domain expert, driving platform decisions without requiring detailed direction.
Nice to Have
- Experience with functional safety requirements and their impact on platform design (ISO 26262, IEC 61508).
- Familiarity with bootloader development, secure boot, and firmware update mechanisms (OTA).
- Experience with Zephyr RTOS or contributing to open-source embedded projects.
- Knowledge of static analysis tools (Coverity, PC-lint, clang-tidy) and their integration into build pipelines.
- Experience with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing and emulation frameworks.
- Prior experience mentoring engineers on platform best practices and embedded fundamentals.
Technical Stack
- C/C++, Bazel, FreeRTOS/Zephyr/ThreadX, GCC/LLVM, ARM
- I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, CAN-FD, GPIO, DMA, ADC/DAC
Team & Environment
You will coordinate closely with Vehicle Leads and Pod Leads to align platform development with product needs.
Benefits & Compensation
- Compensation: $200,000 to $270,000 per year
- Excellent health, dental and vision insurance covered up to 100% by ALSO with FSA & HSA options.
- One Medical membership and dedicated insurance advocates.
- Rich fertility and family building benefits with Progyny.
- Flexible time off.
- 401(k) match.
Work Mode
This is an onsite role in Silicon Valley.
ALSO is an equal opportunity employer.
