Lead Firmware Test Engineer

Samsara • San Francisco, CA

244d • $119,000 - $200,000 • Remote

About The Position

We are looking for a Firmware Test Lead to own the quality strategy and execution for our MCU-based devices. This is a player/coach role—ideal for someone who thrives being hands-on while also leading a small team of engineers. You will guide a team of firmware QA engineers and work in close collaboration with firmware development, hardware, and product teams to ensure the delivery of robust, high-quality embedded software. Our devices operate in challenging environments and rely on RTOS-based firmware with complex connectivity stacks including cellular, GPS, BLE, WiFi, and CAN. Your leadership will be critical to scaling our QA infrastructure, test automation, and validation processes.

Requirements

• 6+ years of experience in embedded systems or firmware testing.
• 2+ years in a technical leadership or team lead role.
• Solid experience testing RTOS-based embedded systems (Zephyr, FreeRTOS).
• Proficiency in scripting languages such as Python.
• Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines (Buildkite, Jenkins), version control (Git), and test automation frameworks.
• Strong documentation, communication, and organizational skills.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with embedded C and SQL.
• Strong knowledge of cellular, GPS, BLE, WiFi, and CAN technologies and their associated test/debug practices.
• Experience working with hardware debugging tools (logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, protocol analyzers, J-Link).

Responsibilities

• Lead a small team of quality engineers and provide technical leadership, set priorities, and foster a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
• Contribute directly to developing and executing test plans, test automation, and system validation for embedded firmware across multiple product lines.
• Partner closely with firmware developers, product managers, and hardware engineers to ensure test coverage and drive timely resolution of issues.
• Improve test infrastructure, CI/CD pipelines, and coverage reporting to accelerate release cycles.
• Serve as a quality champion throughout the development lifecycle, helping to identify risks early and ensure issues are resolved pre-release.
• Build and enhance automated test frameworks, HIL setups, and simulation environments to increase test coverage and reduce manual effort.
• Support field validation testing, log analysis, and issue triage to ensure firmware reliability in real-world industrial deployments.
• Champion, role model, and embed Samsara's cultural principles as we scale globally and across new offices.

Benefits

• Competitive total compensation package.
• Employee-led remote and flexible working.
• Health benefits.
• Samsara for Good charity fund.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Industry: Furniture, Home Furnishings, Electronics, and Appliance Retailers