Staff Validation & Tools Engineer - Embedded Firmware

Job description

About ALSO. We’re ALSO, an electric mobility company originally conceived as a part of Rivian. We’re a passionate team of builders, dreamers, doers and innovators, focused on creating entirely new (not to mention, innovative and delightful) vertically integrated, small EVs designed to meet the global mobility challenges of today and tomorrow. Our mission is to inspire everyone to ride ALSO—replacing many local car, truck and SUV miles with ones on vehicles that are more affordable, more enjoyable and 10-50x more efficient. As a Staff Validation & Tools Engineer - Embedded Firmware, you'll own the validation strategy, tooling architecture, and system-level quality approach for our flagship and next-generation products. You'll build and scale validation frameworks spanning firmware, software, connectivity, mobile, cloud-adjacent systems, and HIL environments, working closely with Hardware, Firmware, Systems, Product, Mobile, Cloud, and Test Engineering to improve testability, traceability, release readiness, and early issue detection. This role is ideal for someone who can set technical direction, build practical validation infrastructure, mentor engineers, and help create a quality-first culture in a fast-moving product environment. What You'll Do - Define the technical vision, architecture, and roadmap for embedded firmware and software validation across product programs - Design, scale, and maintain SIL and HIL validation infrastructure to support automated system-level testing, regression coverage, release readiness, and issue reproduction - Build and evolve validation frameworks that improve test coverage, execution speed, reliability, traceability, and quality reporting across firmware and software releases - Establish clear validation metrics, including test coverage, pass/fail trends, defect escape rate, regression health, and release readiness indicators - Lead end-to-end validation planning for new features, firmware releases, connectivity workflows, and system-level product behavior - Partner with Hardware, Firmware, Systems, Mobile, Cloud, and Product teams to ensure requirements are testable, risks are understood, and validation plans are aligned before implementation - Lead technical root-cause analysis for complex system issues across hardware, firmware, embedded software, connectivity, and test infrastructure - Develop and improve automated test tooling using Python-based frameworks such as Robot Framework or Pytest, and integrate validation workflows into CI/CD pipelines (Jenkins, GitLab CI, or similar) - Use SIL/HIL environments, embedded debug tools, logs, sniffers, and hardware interfaces to reproduce, isolate, and resolve defects - Mentor junior and mid-level engineers on validation strategy, debugging methods, test design, and quality ownership, and communicate validation status and release readiness to engineering and product leadership What You'll Bring - Bachelor's or Master's degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field - 8+ years in embedded software validation, firmware testing, software quality engineering, or validation tools development, with a track record leading validation strategy or test architecture for complex embedded, connected, automotive, or IoT platforms - Experience building or scaling automated validation frameworks for firmware, embedded software, system-level testing, or hardware-in-the-loop environments, with hands-on testing of RTOS-based or Linux-based systems - Strong understanding of embedded architectures, microcontrollers, bootloaders, firmware update flows, hardware/software interfaces, and board-level debug workflows, using tools like JTAG, serial consoles, SWD, logic analyzers, and oscilloscopes - Experience validating connectivity, location services, or wireless technologies such as cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, BLE, or GNSS - Strong programming and scripting skills, especially in Python, with experience using automation frameworks such as Robot Framework or Pytest - Working knowledge of CI/CD systems and automated validation workflows (Jenkins, GitLab CI, GitHub Actions, or similar) - Experience with SIL and HIL validation environments, including test execution, automation, reporting, defect reproduction, and regression analysis - Familiarity with test management, requirements management, and bug tracking tools for release reporting and quality metrics, plus hands-on experience with automotive protocols (UDS, XCP, CAN, CAN-FD, I2C, SPI, UART, USB, USB-PD) and network analysis tools like Vector CANoe or CANalyzer - Ability to lead root-cause analysis across hardware, firmware, software, and connectivity, with strong communication skills to explain validation strategy and release readiness to stakeholders The salary for this position ranges from $170,000 - $210,000 per year, depending on experience, qualifications, and location. Perks & Benefits - Robust health coverage — excellent health, dental and vision insurance covered up to 100% by ALSO with FSA & HSA options - One Medical membership and dedicated insurance advocates - Rich fertility and family building benefits with Progyny - Flexible time off - 401(k) match #LI-MH1 Why ALSO. We’re passionate about helping the world find a better way to get there—wherever it is you’re headed. We’re located in the heart of Silicon Valley and have brought together a world-class team from some of the biggest brands in the technology, automotive, cycling, outdoor recreation and retail spaces. Together we’re working hands-on to imagine, design and build an entirely new solution to a global set of transportation challenges.