Firmware Engineer (Founding Team)

About Applied Intuition Applied Intuition, Inc. is powering the future of physical AI. Founded in 2017 and now valued at $15 billion, the Silicon Valley company is creating the digital infrastructure needed to bring intelligence to every moving machine on the planet. Applied Intuition services the automotive, defense, trucking, construction, mining and agriculture industries in three core areas: tools and infrastructure, operating systems, and autonomy. Eighteen of the top 20 global automakers, as well as the United States military and its allies, trust the company’s solutions to deliver physical intelligence. Applied Intuition is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, with offices in Washington, D.C.; San Diego; Ft. Walton Beach, Florida; Ann Arbor, Michigan; London; Stuttgart; Munich; Stockholm; Bangalore; Seoul; and Tokyo. Learn more at applied.co. We are an in-office company, and our expectation is that employees primarily work from their Applied Intuition office 5 days a week. However, we also recognize the importance of flexibility and trust our employees to manage their schedules responsibly. This may include occasional remote work, starting the day with morning meetings from home before heading to the office, or leaving earlier when needed to accommodate family commitments. About the role We are building a founding firmware engineering team in India and are looking for strong Firmware Engineers who want to own the foundation of new hardware platforms from day one. This role is focused on low level firmware development, early board bring up, and system level enablement across microcontrollers and infotainment class SoCs. As a founding member of this team, you will work close to the hardware and have end to end ownership from first power on through a stable, production ready platform. Your work will define boot flows, OS bring up, performance characteristics, and power behavior that future products and teams will build on. This is a deeply hands-on role for engineers who enjoy operating at the boundary of hardware and software, solving hard problems, and setting technical direction rather than inheriting it. You will collaborate closely with global teams, silicon vendors, and hardware partners while helping establish best practices and technical standards for the India organization. At Applied Intuition, you will: Lead board bring up for new hardware platforms including microcontrollers and infotainment SoCs Develop and debug bootloaders and early boot software Bring up and customize FreeRTOS, QNX, Linux, and Android on new boards Work on Linux kernel and device driver enablement for custom hardware Optimize boot time, system startup, and runtime performance Drive power optimization across boot, idle states, and active workloads Debug complex hardware and software issues using JTAG, logic analyzers, and low level logs Collaborate closely with hardware teams, BSP vendors, and silicon partners Support system integration, validation, and bring up on real target hardware We're looking for someone who has: 4+ years of strong experience in firmware or low level embedded systems development A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Embedded Software, Mechatronics, or equivalent Hands on experience with board bring up for MCUs or SoCs Deep knowledge of FreeRTOS and or QNX for embedded systems Experience working with Linux kernel or Android at the platform level Solid understanding of bootloaders such as U Boot or custom boot flows Strong C and C++ programming skills Experience debugging early boot and hardware dependent issues Understanding of power management, boot optimization, and performance tuning Comfort working close to hardware and reading schematics and datasheets Ability to work independently and take ownership from bring up to stabilization Nice to have: Experience with BSP customization and silicon vendor SDKs Familiarity with secure boot, firmware update flows, or OTA mechanisms Experience supporting customer facing engineering or production bring up Experience with cloud-connected vehicle platforms, SDV architectures, and AI-driven automotive applications Knowledge of functional safety (ASIL levels), cybersecurity (ISO 21434), and AUTOSAR tooling Compensation at Applied Intuition for eligible roles includes base salary, equity, and benefits. Base salary is a single component of the total compensation package, which may also include equity in the form of options and/or restricted stock units, comprehensive health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance coverage, learning and wellness stipends, and paid time off. Note that benefits are subject to change and may vary based on jurisdiction of employment. Applied Intuition pay ranges reflect the minimum and maximum intended target base salary for new hire salaries for the position. The actual base salary offered to a successful candidate will additionally be influenced by a variety of factors including experience, credentials & certifications, educational attainment, skill level requirements, interview performance, and the level and scope of the position. Please reference the job posting’s subtitle for where this position will be located. For pay transparency purposes, the base salary range for this full-time position in the location listed is: 2,165,800 - 5,000,000 INR annually. Don’t meet every single requirement? If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles. Applied Intuition is an equal opportunity employer and federal contractor or subcontractor. Consequently, the parties agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-1.4(a), 41 CFR 60-300.5(a) and 41 CFR 60-741.5(a) and that these laws are incorporated herein by reference. These regulations prohibit discrimination against qualified individuals based on their status as protected veterans or individuals with disabilities, and prohibit discrimination against all individuals based on their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or national origin. These regulations require that covered prime contractors and subcontractors take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment individuals without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status or disability. The parties also agree that, as applicable, they will abide by the requirements of Executive Order 13496 (29 CFR Part 471, Appendix A to Subpart A), relating to the notice of employee rights under federal labor laws.