Embedded Systems Engineer, Robotics Hardware

About the role

FieldAI’s Irvine team is where embodied AI meets real robots, real sensors, and real field deployments. Based in the heart of Southern California’s robotics ecosystem, we build risk-aware, reliable, field-ready AI systems that solve the hardest problems in robotics and unlock the full potential of embodied intelligence.

If you want your work to ship, get tested on hardware, and improve through real deployments, Irvine is the place. We go beyond typical data-driven approaches or pure transformer-only architectures, combining rigorous engineering with learning systems proven in globally deployed solutions that deliver results today and get better every time our robots run in the field.

Hardware Team

The Hardware Team at Field AI develops perception and compute payloads that power autonomous robotics systems in complex real-world environments.

Our work spans the full hardware stack designing and integrating sensing systems (LiDAR, camera, TOF, IMU, GPS), embedded compute (CPUs, GPUs, microcontrollers, Linux, ROS), electrical systems (power distribution, communication), and mechanical components (structures, thermal regulation, ingress protection).

The team focuses on both development (research, design, prototyping, testing) and operations (production, testing, QA, debugging). We’re a small, fast-moving team, and we care deeply about improving: 1) core capabilities, 2) system reliability, 3) system scalability. As a growing team we are also building operational systems and procedures from the ground up.

Embedded Compute Role

As an Embedded Compute Engineer on the Hardware Team at Field AI, you will contribute to the architecture, configuration, and validation of the compute systems that serve as the backbone for our robotic platforms. Your work will span low-level firmware, Linux-based configuration, and system performance analysis across ARM and x86 SBC platforms.

From firmware on microcontrollers to ROS data streams on SBCs, you’ll ensure the entire compute stack is optimized, reliable, and robust under field conditions. You will collaborate closely with the sensor, electrical, and autonomy teams to build tightly integrated solutions ready for deployment in challenging field environments.

Additionally, while your focus will be on computing systems you will likely contribute across all hardware domains.

What You Will Get To Do

• Compute System Design

• Compute Architecture: Architect and configure embedded compute platforms (ARM/x86, SBCs) for robotic applications including evaluation, testing and selection.
• Firmware & Software: Set up and customize Linux environments (Ubuntu, Yocto, JetPack), middleware (ROS), and I/O interfaces.
• Systems Integration: Integrate compute with sensing and robotic systems. Analyze thermal, power, and bandwidth constraints to meet deployment and runtime requirements.

• Compute System Implementation

• Communications: Bring up sensors and peripherals using a range of protocols (USB, Ethernet, GMSL, I²C, SPI, CAN).
• Data Pipelines: Build and maintain drivers, ROS nodes, and data acquisition pipelines for new hardware components.
• Systems Configuration: Create configuration files, launch scripts, and firmware update workflows.
• Testing: Conduct system-level tests such as thermal profiling, latency measurement, and power draw analysis.
• Documentation & Budgets: Maintain flashing procedures, I/O maps, and debug kits. Manage compute and I/O budgets.

• Compute System Production & Servicing

• Build: Work with vendors to procure compute hardware.
• Develop QA checks for incoming units.
• Support payload integration and scaling.

• Debug: Support root-cause analysis for boot, connectivity, and throughput issues.
• Diagnostics Monitoring: Implement watchdogs, health checks, and other evaluation tools. Monitor compute system performance across CPU, GPU, memory, I/O, and networking.

What You Have

• Education: B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in Computer Engineering, Robotics, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience Level: We are recruiting across a wide range of experience levels from entry level engineers to senior and staff engineers.
• Embedded Systems: Experience with embedded platforms (Jetson, Raspberry Pi, x86 NUCs, custom SBCs).
• Linux: Proficiency with Linux system configuration, scripting, and headless deployment tools.
• Firmware: Strong skills in firmware development for microcontrollers, including bare-metal and RTOS environments.
• Programming: Proficient in C++ and Python for embedded and application-level development.
• Communication Protocols: Experience with USB, Ethernet, I²C, SPI, CAN, GMSL, and similar interfaces.
• ROS Ecosystem: Familiarity with ROS, device drivers, TF, and data streaming/publishing.
• Debugging: Comfort with hardware/software debugging tools (oscilloscopes, logs, power monitors, analyzers).
• Systems Thinking: Ability to diagnose and optimize across compute, thermal, timing, and I/O layers.
• What Will Set You Apart