Firmware Test Engineer (Robotics)

Location: On-site in San Carlos, California, United States

Salary: $150,000–$190,000 annually plus equity

Company

hirify.global builds humanoid robots for home use, including NEO, a robot designed to move, learn, and operate safely alongside people.

What you will do

• Own firmware release quality by defining release test criteria, running qualification, and signing off releases before fleet deployment.
• Partner with firmware developers to define test strategies, close coverage gaps, and provide early feedback.
• Build hardware-in-the-loop test rigs for boards, actuators, and full robot setups, including fault injection and real-time bus validation.
• Develop Python regression suites running in CI and convert field and fleet issues into regression tests.
• Verify safety-critical and security behavior, including fault detection, current and thermal limits, safe torque-off, secure boot, and firmware signing.
• Test recovery after interrupted updates, power loss, corrupted images, and watchdog resets through soak and stress testing.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, computer science, or a related field, or equivalent experience, with 2+ years of firmware or embedded systems testing.
• Ability to test embedded systems at the hardware-software boundary, including timing and fault conditions, and read embedded C/C++ to design targeted tests.
• Experience building test automation in Python and Bash, using Git and CI systems such as GitHub Actions, Jenkins, or Buildkite.
• Experience with CAN, UART, I2C, and SPI communication protocols.
• Hands-on experience with oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, power supplies, electronic loads, and bus analyzers.

Nice to have

• Experience building HIL test systems and automation frameworks such as pytest or Robot Framework, including dynamometers, environmental chambers, or fault-injection hardware.
• Experience testing motor-control or power-electronics firmware, including BLDC/PMSM drives, battery-management systems, power distribution, and EtherCAT or CAN FD at 1 kHz and above.
• Familiarity with IEC 61508, ISO 13849, or ISO 26262, including requirements traceability and verification.
• Experience with embedded security testing, secure boot, code signing, hardware security modules or TPMs, fuzzing, penetration testing, fault-injection attacks, IEC 62443, or ISO/SAE 21434.
• Familiarity with FreeRTOS, SafeRTOS, or Zephyr and experience in robotics, automotive, or IoT devices.

Culture & Benefits

• Builder-oriented environment focused on ownership, speed, honesty, respect, and high standards.
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, company holidays, and parental leave.
• 401(k) plan with company match, plus FSA and HSA options.
• Commuter benefits, disability and life insurance, and an Employee Assistance Program.
• On-site snacks and catered lunches.