Lead Firmware Engineer, Robotics

About the Job

The Haptics and Input Sensing group develops state of the art mechatronic, sensing, and actuation solutions for Google devices. Our goal is to deliver magical user experiences by introducing novel sensing, actuation, and robotic capabilities through hardware and software refinements.

We are looking for a Firmware Lead to define and drive the embedded software architecture for our next-generation robotic and motor control hardware.

In this role, you will initially lead firmware development for our most ambitious next-generation program, owning foundational decisions across real-time execution, motor control algorithms, safety-critical fault handling, and sensor integration. Long-term, you will help build and scale our robotics engineering team, establishing standards for safety, reliability, and fast-paced mechatronic innovation.

Individual pay is determined by factors including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training.

US: $207000 - $301000 (USD) + 20% bonus target + equity + benefits

Learn more about benefits at Google.

Responsibilities

• Drive the end-to-end firmware architecture, development, and execution for next-generation robotic and mechatronic systems.
• Develop and optimize low-level motor drivers, interface with encoders and gate drivers, and implement safety-critical fault handling logic.
• Design and implement closed-loop control algorithms, kinematics, and trajectory planning for mechatronic and robotic systems.
• Partner closely with cross-functional teams (Electrical, Mechanical, Product, Operation, Software teams) from early prototype bring-up to system-level integration.
• Establish firmware engineering standards for reliability, latency, and observability, while mentoring team members to scale a high-excellence engineering culture.

Qualifications

Minimum qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience.
  
• 8 years of experience in software development.
  
• 5 years of experience testing, and launching software products.
  
• 5 years of experience working with embedded operating systems.
  
• 3 years of experience with software design and architecture.

Preferred qualifications:

• Master's degree or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Robotics, or related field.
• Experience with motor control and electromechanical systems.
• Experience developing low-level drivers for brushless DC (BLDC) motors, gate drivers, and high-resolution encoders.
• Experience shipping high-volume electromechanical consumer products or robotic hardware. Familiarity with AI-assisted coding systems to accelerate implementation, debugging, and iteration.
• Expertise in embedded systems (RTOS, low-level peripherals) using C/C++ or Rust.
• Expertise in designing and implementing kinematics, trajectory planning, and closed-loop control algorithms.