Staff Embedded Validation & Tools Engineer - OTA

The role

You will own validation, automation, and operational readiness for firmware and software update delivery across a fleet of embedded devices. You will design and run validation test programs to ensure OTA updates are robust and secure under real-world conditions.

What you will do

• Design, implement, and execute comprehensive OTA validation plans
• Build, manage, and scale automated testbeds and harnesses
• Implement automation for end-to-end OTA pipelines using Python, shell, and CI tools
• Validate update mechanisms including bootloader, update agent, and recovery modes
• Test update resilience under adverse conditions like intermittent networks and power interruptions
• Validate security properties including signing, secure transport, and secure boot
• Define metrics and KPIs and instrument devices and cloud backends
• Perform root cause analysis on failed updates and drive remediation
• Maintain device lab hardware and tooling stacks
• Contribute to OTA process improvements

Required qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field (or equivalent experience)
• 7+ years of hands-on experience validating embedded devices and firmware updates (OTA or similar)
• Strong programming/scripting ability in Python
• Familiarity with C/C++ for embedded debugging
• Deep understanding of embedded platforms (embedded Linux and/or RTOS), bootloaders, partition schemes, and A/B update models
• Practical experience building automated test harnesses and integrating tests into CI pipelines
• Experience with hardware debugging tools and workflows including serial/UART, JTAG/SWD, logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, and power cycling rigs
• Familiarity with networking protocols used for OTA (HTTP(S), MQTT, CoAP) and wireless technologies (Wi-Fi, Ethernet, cellular, BLE)
• Experience analyzing logs, packet captures, and device telemetry to diagnose update failures
• Strong debugging skills and methodical problem solving

Nice to have

• Experience with cloud OTA platforms (AWS IoT Device Management, Mender, Azure IoT, Google Cloud IoT, or custom fleet management systems)
• Secure update practices (code signing, PKI, TPM/secure element integration, secure boot)
• CAN/LIN and automotive-grade validation
• Familiarity with containerization/virtualization for test environments (Docker, QEMU)
• Large-scale rollout strategies (canary/capacity ramping, staged rollouts, feature flags)
• Firmware build systems (Yocto/OpenEmbedded, Buildroot)
• Telemetry frameworks and analytics (Prometheus, Grafana, ELK)

Benefits

• Health, dental and vision insurance covered up to 100% by ALSO with FSA & HSA options
• One Medical membership and dedicated insurance advocates
• Fertility and family building benefits with Progyny
• Flexible time off
• 401(k) match

About the company

ALSO is an electric mobility company focused on creating vertically integrated, small EVs. They are located in the heart of Silicon Valley.