Application Engineer (Data Center Hardware/Firmware)

TL;DR

Application Engineer (Data Center Hardware/Firmware): Designing and validating hardware integration layers and embedded firmware for the Karman platform to optimize AI data center power orchestration with an accent on system bring-up and hardware-firmware interfaces. Focus on translating customer requirements into concrete POCs and driving complex hardware integrations to production.

Location: Must be based onsite in Ann Arbor, Michigan

Salary: $160,000 – $195,000 base compensation plus stock options

Company

NVIDIA-backed AI company enabling AI data centers to dynamically orchestrate power and unlock compute capacity from existing energy infrastructure.

What you will do

• Design and implement hardware integration layers between Karman and customer infrastructure.
• Write and modify embedded firmware to adapt the platform to various customer environments.
• Own end-to-end technical execution of hardware integrations from initial kick-off to deployment.
• Lead technical reviews, on-site visits, and requirements calls with customer engineering and IT teams.
• Develop comprehensive engineering artifacts, including schematics reviews, validation guides, and KPI trackers.
• Apply an AI-first approach to automate integration processes and generate deployment artifacts.

Requirements

• 8+ years of hands-on hardware and embedded firmware engineering experience.
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent experience.
• Proven expertise in PCB-level design, interface definition, and end-to-end system bring-up.
• Experience with FPGA development, including both hardware design/RTL and firmware.
• Working knowledge of data center protocols: I2C, UART, PCIe, and Ethernet.
• Must be located in or able to work onsite at headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Nice to have

• Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
• Familiarity with System-on-Module (SOM) platforms or metrology hardware.
• Experience with embedded Linux, BSP bring-up, or Yocto-based OS customization.
• Knowledge of on-device messaging and serialization (ZeroMQ, Protobuf, gRPC, REST APIs).
• Prior experience in customer-facing roles such as Field Application Engineer.

Culture & Benefits

• Collaborative environment with a focus on mentorship and growth opportunities.
• Flexible work environment with flexible paid time off.
• Competitive compensation including base salary and stock options.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Employer-match 401k.