Embedded Systems Engineering Lead — Agentic AI Platform

Job summary

Develop and validate firmware hands-on across Qualcomm-based AOSP and RTOS platforms, including bring-up, bootloader, BSP, kernel, device drivers, sensors, and power architecture. Lead the Shenzhen firmware team, establish continuous cross-time-zone handoffs, and manage technical coordination with ODM and silicon partners.

Job details

We're building the operating system for the next generation of computing — one where AI agents replace apps, menus disappear, and your technology finally works for you instead of the other way around. We're a stealth-mode startup with a world-class founding team with deep roots in consumer AI, extended reality, and wearable technology — including founders of some of the most recognizable hardware and software platforms of the last decade. We're backed by strategic partnerships with leaders in silicon and manufacturing, and we're hiring our first Firmware Engineering Lead to own hands-on firmware development in the US while providing technical leadership to our engineering team in Shenzhen. This is a rare opportunity to build the firmware foundation of a platform that doesn't exist yet — on real development hardware, from day one, as part of a genuinely novel around-the-clock engineering operation. Additional product details shared under NDA. What We Offer Competitive salary commensurate with experience — range shared in first conversation Meaningful early-stage equity Full medical, dental, and vision coverage Remote US with approximately 25 to 30 percent travel to Shenzhen and Taiwan Awear is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Key Responsibilities This is a deeply hands-on firmware engineering role with a leadership dimension — not the other way around. It will involve designing firmware architectures, leading device bring-up sprints, as well as kernel level and user level device drivers authoring and integration. You will work directly with development hardware in the US, owning active firmware bring-up and development as part of a continuous engineering operation that runs across time zones. Your counterpart firmware engineers in Shenzhen work their shift. You work yours. Together you design and operate a handoff protocol that keeps development moving around the clock — and you are the person who designs that protocol. At the same time you are the technical authority for the Shenzhen firmware team — setting direction, reviewing work, unblocking engineers, and bridging the gap between hardware engineering execution and the US product and software leadership. You will also interface directly with our ODM and silicon partners in Taiwan and China, managing the technical relationships that keep hardware delivery on schedule. You will report directly to the CEO and travel to China and Taiwan regularly — approximately 25 to 30 percent of your time. We actively use AI-assisted development tools across our engineering team — Cursor, Claude, Copilot — and expect engineers who use them seriously as a core part of their workflow. What You Will Build and Own Hands-on firmware development on development hardware in the US — active bring-up, driver development, debugging, and validation as a working engineer, not a reviewer An around-the-clock engineering operation — design and implement the handoff protocol between the US and Shenzhen firmware teams that keeps development moving continuously across time zones Firmware architecture across the full stack — bootloader, BSP, kernel configuration, device tree, HAL layer, sensor integration, and power architecture across both AOSP and RTOS platforms AOSP bring-up and BSP development — Qualcomm platform primary, owning the stack from XBL and ABL through kernel, device tree, and HAL RTOS development — as the platform transitions from AOSP to RTOS, you own that transition technically and ensure continuity of the firmware foundation Technical leadership for the Shenzhen firmware team — setting engineering standards, reviewing architecture decisions, mentoring IC engineers across BSP, camera, sensors, audio, connectivity, and power domains ODM and silicon vendor relationships — owning the technical interface with our ODM partner in Taiwan through NPI milestones and with silicon vendors on BSP delivery, driver packages, and technical support Hardware-software integration — defining the interface between the firmware layer and the US software platform team, ensuring on-device AI inference, sensor data pipelines, and privacy architecture requirements are met at the firmware level Ideal Experience 10+ years of firmware engineering experience with strong depth in consumer electronics — wearables, mobile, hearables, or adjacent hardware categories Genuinely hands-on — you are a working engineer who writes production firmware code daily, not someone who reviews other people's work from a distance Deep Qualcomm platform expertise — BSP bring-up, AOSP, Linux kernel configuration, device tree authoring, HAL implementation. You know the full stack from bootloader to HAL and can own work at every layer Strong RTOS proficiency — you have built production firmware on RTOS platforms and can lead the technical transition from AOSP to RTOS as the platform evolves Experience technically leading or managing a firmware engineering team — you have been the person other engineers look to for technical direction and you have made it work across time zones Direct ODM experience — you have managed the technical relationship with a China or Taiwan based ODM through at least one full NPI cycle including EVT, DVT, and PVT Comfort operating as a technical bridge — you communicate complex hardware realities to non-hardware audiences clearly, and you translate product requirements into hardware constraints that engineers can act on Willingness and ability to travel to China and Taiwan regularly — approximately 25 to 30 percent of your time Excellent written and verbal English Strong plus: BT and WiFi protocols specialization — BLE, LE Audio, A2DP, WiFi stack architecture & integration; BES or UNISOC platform experience; IMU, or eye tracking sensor driver development; always-on low-power firmware architecture.

What you’ll do

Develop and validate firmware hands-on across Qualcomm-based AOSP and RTOS platforms, including bring-up, bootloader, BSP, kernel, device drivers, sensors, and power architecture. Lead the Shenzhen firmware team, establish continuous cross-time-zone handoffs, and manage technical coordination with ODM and silicon partners.

Requirements

Requires 10+ years of hands-on consumer electronics firmware experience, deep Qualcomm and AOSP/Linux expertise, strong RTOS proficiency, and experience technically leading a firmware team. Candidates should have managed an ODM through an NPI cycle, communicate effectively in English, and be able to travel to China and Taiwan approximately 25–30% of the time.

Benefits

• Meaningful Early-Stage Equity
• Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Coverage

Listed skills

• Software · Preferred
• Production · Preferred
• Technical · Preferred
• Leadership · Preferred
• Development · Preferred
• Time · Preferred
• Linux · Preferred
• Integration · Preferred
• coordination · Preferred
• English · Preferred
• Embedded Systems · Preferred
• Configuration · Preferred

Other relevant skills

Identified from the job description. Confirm important requirements above.

• Firmware Architecture
• Firmware Development
• Qualcomm BSP Bring-Up
• AOSP
• Linux Kernel Configuration
• Device Tree Authoring
• HAL Implementation
• RTOS Development
• Device Driver Development
• Hardware Bring-Up
• Sensor Integration
• Power Architecture
• Technical Leadership
• ODM Relationship Management
• Bluetooth and Wi-Fi Integration
• Low-Power Firmware

Job areas

• Engineering
• Technology
• Software
• Management & Leadership
• Manufacturing

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