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Senior Firmware Engineer

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92% of candidates apply because they are a Most Loved Workplace®
San Francisco
Engineering
FullTime

About the Role

At Sofar Ocean, a Most Loved Workplace® certified employer in the Climate Tech space, Connecting the world's oceans to power a sustainable future through real-time ocean intelligence..

The Role You will be a key contributor to the embedded firmware design and implementation of all our hardware products: Spotter, Smart Mooring, next generation platforms and Sofar’s new open hardware connectivity stack — Bristlemouth https://www.bristlemouth.org . You thrive in small and collaborative multidisciplinary teams, and are eager to pitch in to debug and solve gnarly issues. You take pride in your craft. You strive to improve the health of our oceans and planet by shipping a cohesive, elegant and impactful product. This role will be working onsite from our Pier 28 office at least 3 days per week and reporting to our Senior Engineering Manager. Some projects you’ll be a part of: Building new Bristlemouth integrations for Spotter and Smart Mooring and evolving the open source Bristlemouth core APIs Collaborating cross-functionally to build new features on existing platforms Developing next generation platforms Advanced research and experiments with new and emerging technologies Integrated system testing, open ocean deployments, and the occasional throwing of things out of airplanes to see what breaks Responsibilities Design and implement efficient and maintainable FreeRTOS firmware with automated unit and integration tests in a mix of C and C++ Break down complex efforts into parallelizable work streams for your team Implement host-side test, analysis and automation tools in Python Participate in code reviews, brainstorms and whiteboard sessions with your team Write crystal clear specifications and documentation for both external users and internal colleagues Work alongside electrical and mechanical engineers in designing, integrating, testing and debugging systems Advocating for the highest leverage features and fixes in product prioritization conversations Execute frequent releases for internal proprietary firmware as well as open source Bristlemouth firmware, following test plans, building installers, writing release notes, and announcing the releases in friendly and inviting communications for wide audiences Minimum Job Qualifications Excellent communication and collaboration skills Strong systems thinking ability Solid foundation of software architecture principles At least 5+ years of professional embedded firmware/software experience Prior experience as a tech lead for a firmware team Fluent in embedded C and C++ Comfortable in Python Experience with FreeRTOS Breadth of technology experience including multiple embedded platforms An understanding of common hardware peripherals and interfaces Bonus Points Experience with multiple forms of radio telemetry Experience with IPv6 networking Experience with ARM Cortex-M0, M4, and M33 cores Past work in IoT, robotics, drones and/or automotive products A passion for or connection to the ocean

Want to learn more about what it's like to work at Sofar Ocean? View our full profile.

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Why This Is a Most Loved Workplace® Certified Job

What It's Like to Work Here

Waves Ocean-Centric Decision Making
Users Genuine Collaboration Across Teams
Lightbulb Innovation Through Experimentation
Heart Authentic Care for People
Target Purpose-Driven Clarity
Compass Transparency and Psychological Safety
Certified for: Most Loved Workplace Most Loved Workplaces® 2026, Most Loved Workplace Most Loved Workplaces® 2025

Frequently Asked Questions About Working at Sofar Ocean

Common questions candidates ask about this role and Sofar Ocean's workplace

Sofar is on a mission to connect the world’s oceans. We design, build, and deploy the largest privately owned network of marine weather sensors to power the world’s best marine weather forecasts. Our data helps our customers to increase efficiency and reduce emissions, delivering tools to governments and other stakeholders to understand impacts of climate change on extreme weather and ocean health. We live on Planet Ocean, and our goal is to create the ocean intelligence needed to ensure a sustainable future.

Please review the specific job listing or contact Sofar Ocean's recruiting team for details on remote or hybrid work options for this role.

Salary information may vary by role and location. Please check the specific job listing or discuss compensation during the interview process.

Sofar Ocean is an established organization in its industry. The company is a certified Most Loved Workplace®, highlighting a strong, positive culture and committed workforce.

Key benefit categories include: Employees, Life & Family, Professional Development, Wellness & Community. You can view more details on their CertCheck profile.

The day-to-day environment is guided by core values such as Ocean-Centric Decision Making and Genuine Collaboration Across Teams and Innovation Through Experimentation.

The company has committed to inclusive practices including: Oceans First Culture and Collaborative Team Excellence.

They have earned Most Loved Workplace® certifications including: Most Loved Workplace Most Loved Workplaces® 2026 and Most Loved Workplace Most Loved Workplaces® 2025.

Sofar Ocean currently has 7 open positions. They are hiring across departments like Sales, Marketing, Engineering. You can view all current openings at certcheck.mostlovedworkplace.com/companies/sofar-ocean/jobs.

The interview process typically involves an initial recruiter screen followed by team interviews. Please contact Sofar Ocean's recruiting team for specific details on this role's process.

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