Staff Firmware Engineer
Samsara · Remote · San Francisco, United States · 5h ago
Who we are
Samsara (NYSE: IOT) is the pioneer of the Connected Operations™ Cloud, which is a platform that enables organizations that depend on physical operations to harness Internet of Things (IoT) data to develop actionable insights and improve their operations. At Samsara, we are helping improve the safety, efficiency and sustainability of the physical operations that power our global economy. Representing more than 40% of global GDP, these industries are the infrastructure of our planet, including agriculture, construction, field services, transportation, and manufacturing — and we are excited to help digitally transform their operations at scale.
Working at Samsara means you’ll help define the future of physical operations and be on a team that’s shaping an exciting array of product solutions, including Video-Based Safety, Vehicle Telematics, Apps and Driver Workflows, and Equipment Monitoring. As part of a recently public company, you’ll have the autonomy and support to make an impact as we build for the long term.
Who we are
Samsara (NYSE: IOT) is the pioneer of the Connected Operations™ Cloud, a platform that enables organizations that depend on physical operations to harness Internet of Things (IoT) data to develop actionable insights and improve their operations. At Samsara, we are helping improve the safety, efficiency and sustainability of the physical operations that power our global economy. Representing more than 40% of global GDP, these industries are the infrastructure of our planet, including agriculture, construction, field services, transportation, and manufacturing, and we are excited to help digitally transform their operations at scale.
Working at Samsara means you'll help define the future of physical operations and be on a team that's shaping an exciting array of product solutions, including Video-Based Safety, Vehicle Telematics, Apps and Driver Workflows, and Equipment Monitoring. As part of a recently public company, you'll have the autonomy and support to make an impact as we build for the long term.
About the role
The Safety Firmware Team builds the next generation of intelligent video and AI-driven safety solutions, bringing high-performance camera systems and real-time edge computing into Samsara's fleet and industrial products. We deliver low-latency, high-quality video processing, voice powered AI Agents and advanced computer vision models at the edge, and we ship them as complete products that run from the device to the cloud.
This role is for a hands-on technical leader who goes deep on firmware but is just as comfortable across the full stack: embedded systems, Go backend services, and web and mobile surfaces. You are AI-native in how you work, you move fast, and you own outcomes end-to-end. You think like a product and systems owner, you move easily across teams, and you want to shape Samsara's edge AI strategy, mentor engineers, and ship work that makes a real difference.
This is a remote position open to candidates residing in the US and Canada.
You should apply if:
- You want to impact the industries that run our world: The software, firmware, and hardware you build will help keep the lights on, get food into grocery stores, and, most importantly, ensure workers return home safely.
- You want to build for scale: With over 2.3 million IoT devices deployed to customers worldwide, you'll work across new and mature technologies, from the device to the cloud, that drive innovation for the world's physical operations.
- You want to own the whole outcome: You take a vague customer problem all the way to a shipped, measured feature, and you don't wait for a spec or a hand-off to get there.
- You are a life-long learner: We have ambitious goals, and every Samsarian has a growth mindset as we work with a wide range of technologies, challenges, and customers that push us to learn on the go.
- You believe customers are more than a number: Samsara engineers enjoy a rare closeness to the end user. You'll join customer interviews, collaborate with customer success and product managers, and use metrics to make sure our work translates into better customer outcomes.
- You are a team player: Our engineering teams blend independent effort with close collaboration. Motivated by our mission, we're all racing toward our connected operations vision, and we intend to win, together.
In this role, you will:
- Own outcomes end-to-end, from a vague customer problem to a shipped, measured feature, across the full stack: firmware, Go backend services, and web and mobile surfaces
- Drive technology choices, implement embedded and firmware solutions, and establish architectural patterns with a broad and lasting impact on Samsara's products, from the device to the cloud
- Leverage voice as the new interface, powering AI Agents as well as humans communicating.
- Design for the whole system: device constraints, connectivity, cloud services, and fleet-scale rollout
- Identify opportunities and start strategic conversations that influence the direction of our technology and engineering culture
- Ensure the accuracy of the AI algorithms we run at the edge, and that they operate within device constraints
- Build with AI agents by default, and raise the AI fluency of the engineers around you
- Partner closely with the Hardware team to define and build next-generation devices that support company objectives, and work just as fluently with Backend, Web, Mobile, Product, and Customer Success teams
- Lead teams in delivering products and capabilities that contribute to Samsara's products and revenue
- Solve the hardest technical problems and help products reach the market quickly, with high quality
- Act as a multiplier for the team, raising the impact and output of every team member
- Champion, role model, and embed Samsara's cultural principles (Focus on Customer Success, Build for the Long Term, Adopt a Growth Mindset, Be Inclusive, Win as a Team) as we scale globally and across new offices
Minimum requirements for the role:
- 10+ years of experience designing, developing, and deploying software, with deep expertise in embedded systems and firmware, including at least 2 years in a technical leadership or architecture role
- Deep expertise in at least one embedded domain (for example multimedia, connectivity, drivers and kernel, power, or real-time systems)
- Has shipped across the stack: firmware, Go backend services, and web or mobile surfaces, not just embedded
- Strong programming skills in C/C++, Go, Python, or similar
- Product and systems thinking: has shipped products, not just components; ties technical decisions to customer outcomes; and reasons about the whole system, including device constraints, connectivity, cloud, and fleet-scale rollout
- High agency and execution speed: owns outcomes end-to-end, from a vague customer problem to a shipped, measured feature, without waiting for a spec or hand-off
- Already uses AI tools in day-to-day engineering work, builds with AI agents by default, can speak concretely to what share of their code is AI-generated, and raises the AI fluency of the team around them
- Demonstrated ability to lead and deliver complex, high-impact projects with multiple dependencies
- Strong communication and collaboration skills, equally credible in a kernel driver review and a backend design review, with the ability to move across teams and influence cross-functional stakeholders
- A track record of building systems that do more with less hardware, and comfort operating under scarce compute, data, or hardware budgets, in any industry
An ideal candidate also has:
- Expertise in multimedia frameworks, video codecs, and camera systems
- Played a prominent role in shaping the engineering culture of a rapidly scaling, large, global engineering team
- Expertise in developing and managing software for large-scale embedded systems deployed on 1M+ devices
- Experience deploying CV/ML models on edge devices in real-world applications
- Background in another scarce-resource industry (robotics, drones, consumer electronics, automotive). A strong "do more with less" track record matters more than pedigree in this exact industry
The range of annual base salary for full-time employees for this position is below. Please note that base pay offered may vary depending on factors including your city of residence, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. This role is also eligible for an initial RSU grant with no vesting cliff, and ongoing refresh opportunities tied to performance, subject to plan terms and conditions. Learn more about our total rewards and benefits below.
Annual Base Salary
US: $162,400 - $290,000 | Canada: $154,800 to $212,850
Total Rewards
At Samsara, we build for the people who keep the global economy moving. We want owners, not passengers, which is why our rewards are designed to fuel high-impact builders. Our compensation program delivers above-market total compensation through a combination of base salary, performance-based bonus/variable pay, and equity (for eligible roles) in a high-growth public company. We meaningfully differentiate pay for our top performers, who have the opportunity to earn above-market compensation that can outpace the broader market over time.
Beyond compensation, we provide the foundations that enable long-term success: a flexible, employee-led remote model, a professional development stipend, comprehensive health and parental leave plans, and more. If you're ready to build for the long term and own the outcome, your journey starts here.
Flexible Working
At Samsara, we embrace a flexible working model that caters to the diverse needs of our teams. Our offices are open for those who prefer to work in-person and we also support remote work where it aligns with our operational requirements. For certain positions, being close to one of our offices or within a specific geographic area is important to facilitate collaboration, access to resources, or alignment with our service regions. In these cases, the job description will clearly indicate any working location requirements. Our goal is to ensure that all members of our team can contribute effectively, whether they are working on-site, in a hybrid model, or fully remotely. All offers of employment are contingent upon an individual's ability to secure and maintain the legal right to work at the company and in the specified work location, if applicable.
Belonging at Samsara
At Samsara, we welcome everyone regardless of their background. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, and other characteristics protected by law. We depend on the unique approaches of our team members to help us solve complex problems and want to ensure that Samsara is a place where people from all backgrounds can make an impact.
Accommodations
Samsara is an inclusive work environment, and we are committed to ensuring equal opportunity in employment for qualified persons with disabilities. Please email accessibleinterviewing@samsara.com or click here if you require any reasonable accommodations throughout the recruiting process.
Our Commitment to Authenticity
We use Tofu, a fraud detection tool, to validate the authenticity of applications and protect against identity fraud. This ensures we are connecting with real people and allows us to prioritize genuine candidates. Please see Samsara's Candidate Privacy Notice for more information.
Fraudulent Employment Offers
Samsara is aware of scams involving fake job interviews and offers. Please know we do not charge fees to applicants at any stage of the hiring process. Official communication about your application will only come from emails ending in @samsara.com, @us-greenhouse-mail.io or @mail3.guide.co. For more information regarding fraudulent employment offers, please visit our blog post here.
Total Rewards
At Samsara, we build for the people who keep the global economy moving. We want owners, not passengers, which is why our rewards are designed to fuel high-impact builders. Our compensation program delivers above-market total compensation through a combination of base salary, performance-based bonus/variable pay, and equity (for eligible roles) in a high-growth public company. We meaningfully differentiate pay for our top performers, who have the opportunity to earn above-market compensation that can outpace the broader market over time.
Beyond compensation, we provide the foundations that enable long-term success: a flexible, employee-led remote model, a professional development stipend, comprehensive health and parental leave plans, and more. If you’re ready to build for the long term and own the outcome, your journey starts here.
Flexible Working
At Samsara, we embrace a flexible working model that caters to the diverse needs of our teams. Our offices are open for those who prefer to work in-person and we also support remote work where it aligns with our operational requirements. For certain positions, being close to one of our offices or within a specific geographic area is important to facilitate collaboration, access to resources, or alignment with our service regions. In these cases, the job description will clearly indicate any working location requirements. Our goal is to ensure that all members of our team can contribute effectively, whether they are working on-site, in a hybrid model, or fully remotely. All offers of employment are contingent upon an individual’s ability to secure and maintain the legal right to work at the company and in the specified work location, if applicable.
Belonging at Samsara
At Samsara, we welcome everyone regardless of their background. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, and other characteristics protected by law. We depend on the unique approaches of our team members to help us solve complex problems and want to ensure that Samsara is a place where people from all backgrounds can make an impact.
Accommodations
Samsara is an inclusive work environment, and we are committed to ensuring equal opportunity in employment for qualified persons with disabilities. Please email accessibleinterviewing@samsara.com or click here if you require any reasonable accommodations throughout the recruiting process.
Our Commitment to Authenticity
We use Tofu, a fraud detection tool, to validate the authenticity of applications and protect against identity fraud. This ensures we are connecting with real people and allows us to prioritize genuine candidates. Please see Samsara’s Candidate Privacy Notice for more information.
Fraudulent Employment Offers
Samsara is aware of scams involving fake job interviews and offers. Please know we do not charge fees to applicants at any stage of the hiring process. Official communication about your application will only come from emails ending in @samsara.com, @us-greenhouse-mail.io or @mail3.guide.co. For more information regarding fraudulent employment offers, please visit our blog post here.