Firmware Engineer

About the role

Gridware is a San Francisco-based technology company dedicated to protecting and enhancing the electrical grid. The company pioneered a new class of grid management called active grid response (AGR), which focuses on monitoring the electrical, physical, and environmental aspects of the grid that affect reliability and safety. Gridware's advanced Active Grid Response platform uses high-precision sensors to detect potential issues early, enabling proactive maintenance and fault mitigation. This comprehensive approach helps improve safety, reduce outages, and ensure the grid operates efficiently. The company is backed by climate-tech and Silicon Valley investors. You will own the end-to-end design of firmware for critical grid sensing nodes that power this mission-critical infrastructure. This role requires daily collaboration with hardware and control logic teams to ensure firmware capabilities align with evolving grid monitoring objectives. You will be responsible for owning bootloader development and in-field performance tuning throughout the product lifecycle. Success in this position means delivering reliable code that helps Gridware deliver enhanced safety and grid reliability to customers.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Implement low-level firmware routines for sensor nodes that form the foundation of active grid response systems.
• Configure and optimize communication stacks to ensure grid data moves reliably between field devices and cloud services.
• Develop and integrate safety checks that guard against electrical faults during system operation to maintain grid integrity.
• Test firmware builds on reference hardware and validate functionality before modules move toward deployment in the field.
• Coordinate with operations staff to verify that monitoring features meet strict reliability targets and performance benchmarks.
• Document hardware and software interfaces clearly so other engineers can integrate modules into larger grid platforms effectively.
• Optimize memory usage and processing efficiency to ensure stable performance during long-running grid monitoring conditions.
• Validate bootloader and application code for compliance with grid security standards and operational reliability requirements.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to prioritize firmware tasks that unblock hardware and software integration milestones.
• Adapt firmware to work across diverse reference platforms while maintaining consistency in sensor data collection and reporting.
• Support root cause analysis for field incidents by analyzing firmware logs and behavior on deployed sensor nodes.
• Contribute to firmware architecture decisions that influence scalability and maintainability of the active grid response platform.
• Assist in the creation of test procedures and validation routines used during firmware integration and pre-deployment phases.
• Mentor junior engineers on best practices for embedded systems development within the context of critical infrastructure applications.
• Drive firmware deliverables that enable proactive maintenance and fault mitigation capabilities central to Gridware's value proposition.

Requirements

• Must hold a minimum of 3 years of professional experience in embedded firmware development for commercial or industrial products.
• Must demonstrate hands-on skill with C or C++ for resource-constrained processors commonly found in grid monitoring hardware.
• Must possess a necessary qualification in understanding communication protocols used in industrial or energy systems environments.
• Must show the ability to interpret electrical grid constraints and translate them into precise firmware requirements and performance trade-offs.
• Must have experience with debugging tools such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and embedded debug probes in past engineering roles.
• Must have hands-on experience with version control systems like Git to manage source code across collaborative firmware projects.
• Must be able to work full-time from the office in San Francisco, California, with no remote work options available for this role.
• Must commit to a notice period and onboarding timeline that aligns with active project schedules as defined by Gridware hiring operations.
• Must hold eligibility to work in the United States without sponsorship for this position at this time.
• Must adhere to Gridware security policies and operational procedures while handling firmware for grid-critical infrastructure.

Nice to have

• Knowledge of active grid response concepts and grid reliability principles that help you design more effective firmware features.
• Familiarity with communication protocols such as DNP3, IEEE C37, or other industrial standards used in energy systems.
• Experience with real-time operating systems or embedded frameworks used in monitoring and control applications.
• Understanding of power system constraints such as phase angles, frequency, and voltage measurements at the sensor level.

Practical notes

• This role requires 3 years of experience in embedded firmware development.
• The compensation package includes a base salary of $180,000, a signing bonus of $30,000, equity, comprehensive benefits, and a requirement of 3 years of experience.
• The position is based in San Francisco, California, and is offered as a full-time engagement.
• Please refer to www.Gridware.io for additional company and product information.
• Work authorization is required for this position, and sponsorship is not available.
• The Firmware Engineer will report to engineering leadership and participate in on-call rotations as defined by operational needs.
• All firmware development activities must comply with internal security standards and customer data protection requirements.
• Travel is not required for this role, and all work is conducted from the San Francisco office.