Embedded Software Engineer, BSP
Hark
$120,000 - $300,000 / year
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Description
About Hark
Hark is an artificial intelligence company building advanced, personalized intelligence. One that is proactive, multimodal, and capable of interacting with the world through speech, text, vision, and persistent memory.
We're pairing that intelligence with next-generation hardware to create a universal interface between humans and machines. While today's AI largely operates through chat boxes and decade-old devices, Hark is focused on what comes next: agentic systems that interact naturally with people and the real world.
To get there, we're developing multimodal models and next-generation AI hardware together - designed from the ground up as a single, unified interface for a new era of intelligent systems.
About the Role
The Embedded Software team owns the software running on Hark’s next generation of AI hardware, and we are looking for an Embedded BSP Engineer to join the team. You will own critical pieces of the firmware across the stack that powers Hark's consumer products, from board bring-up, vendor code integrations, to custom peripheral drivers and integrations, FPGA-based system integrations, and system power and performance improvements.
Responsibilities
- Develop and maintain embedded firmware in C/C++ targeting ARM-based SoCs and microcontrollers
- Own BSP development, board bring up, peripheral drivers (SPI, I2C, UART, I2S etc.), and system integration
- Working closely with vendors on system integration and validation
- Working with Hardware and Software team to ensure our hardware are built and functioning to the specifications
- Optimize power consumption and thermal performance for always-on, battery-powered operation
- Debug complex hardware-software interactions using logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, and JTAG
Requirements
- 5+ years of professional firmware or embedded systems development
- Strong proficiency in C and/or C++ in resource-constrained environments
- Experience with ARM Cortex-M or Cortex-A processors
- Hands-on experience with embedded operating systems, such as eLinux, AOSP, VxWorks and RTOSes
- Familiarity with wireless protocols (BLE, Wi-Fi, or Thread)
- Comfort reading schematics and working alongside hardware engineers during board bring-up
- Experience with embedded debugging tools and workflows
Bonus Qualifications
- Experience with power optimization for battery-powered consumer devices
- Familiarity with secure boot, firmware signing, or hardware root of trust
- Exposure to ML inference runtimes on embedded platforms
- Experience shipping consumer electronics through EVT/DVT/PVT milestones
Compensation
The US base salary range for this full-time position is between $120,000 - $300,000 annually.
The pay offered for this position may vary based on several individual factors, including job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package may also include additional components/benefits depending on the specific role. This information will be shared if an employment offer is extended.
About this role
Hark is building the next generation of AI hardware paired with multimodal intelligence, and this role puts you at the foundation of that effort. As an Embedded BSP Engineer, you'll own critical firmware across the full stack—from initial board bring-up through vendor integrations, custom peripheral drivers, and FPGA system work. You'll be working in C/C++ on ARM-based platforms, optimizing for power and performance in always-on, battery-powered consumer devices while collaborating closely with hardware engineers to validate that systems meet specification.
This is a hands-on role that demands at least five years of embedded systems experience and strong fundamentals in low-level firmware development. You'll need proven expertise with ARM processors, embedded operating systems like Linux or RTOS variants, and the debugging tools that come with the territory—logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, JTAG. Familiarity with wireless protocols and comfort reading schematics are essential; experience shipping consumer products through development milestones and knowledge of power optimization or secure boot are valuable additions.
The position is based in San Jose and requires in-office work. The salary range is $120,000–$300,000, with final offer dependent on your specific experience and skills.
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Pay for this role
$120,000 to $300,000 per year
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