Lead Firmware Engineer at Neurophos

ABOUT NEUROPHOS The demand for new datacenters and AI compute is rapidly outpacing the planet's energy capacity. Digital solutions are hitting a power wall as we approach the physical limits of traditional silicon. Conquering this bottleneck isn’t about bigger chips or more of them; it means rethinking the fundamental architecture. The industry's current path isn’t going to meet the need, so we took a different approach. Instead of traditional electronic circuits, we use silicon photonics and an active, programmable metasurface to perform matrix multiplications at the speed of light. Our optical cells are 10,000x smaller than traditional photonic components, enabling unprecedented density. By using photonics instead of electricity, our chips become more efficient as they scale. This architecture will deliver up to 100 times the energy efficiency of existing solutions while significantly improving performance for large-scale AI inference. We’ve assembled a world-class team of industry veterans and recently raised a $110M Series A [Upgrade to PRO to see link] led by Gates Frontier. Participants include M12 (Microsoft’s Venture Fund), Carbon Direct Capital, Aramco Ventures, Bosch Ventures, Tectonic Ventures, Space Capital, and others. We have also been recognized on the EE Times Silicon 100 list for several consecutive years. Join us and shape the future of computing! Position Overview We are seeking a talented Firmware Engineer to join our engineering team and spearhead our embedded software development. This role focuses on low-level firmware development for our novel LLM accelerator architecture. You will develop the firmware layer that directly controls our custom hybrid optical-electronic compute hardware, ensuring reliable operation and optimal performance. Location Austin, TX. Full-time onsite position. Key Responsibilities - Design and implement toolchains for our custom LLM accelerator architecture - Develop optimization strategies that bridge software algorithms to hardware implementations - Design and implement custom compiler components, including IR dialects, graph transformations, and lowering passes - Optimize computational graphs and memory access patterns for our hardware architecture - Integrate with existing ML frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, JAX, Triton). - Build and maintain test infrastructure to ensure compiler correctness and performance Qualifications - Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field - 10+ years of industry experience - 5+ years of professional experience leading efforts for firmware engineering, embedded systems, or low-level systems programming - Expert-level proficiency in embedded C++ (essential), Python for tooling and automation - Strong experience with embedded systems programming and hardware interfaces - Deep understanding of computer architecture, memory hierarchies, and parallel computing concepts - Experience with hardware communication protocols and register-level programming. Preferred Skills - Master’s degree in CS/EE (or related) with expertise in high-performance, low-latency system design, including power and thermal optimization. - Deep knowledge of embedded processor architectures (ARM, RISC-V), high-speed interfaces (AXI, PCIe, AMBA), and the ability to read RTL for HW/SW co-design. - Experience building adaptive, multi-node, and multi-processor systems using bare metal, RTOS (Zephyr, FreeRTOS), and shared memory IPC. - Familiarity with LLM architectures and hands-on experience programming AI/ML accelerators (GPUs, TPUs, FPGAs). - Proficiency in virtual platforms/simulators, cross-compiler toolchains, Docker, and modern agentic AI coding workflows. - Proven ability to manage OTA update systems and debug complex parallel/asynchronous programs. Technical Skills - Languages: Embedded C++ (essential), Python, Assembly - Bus Protocols: AXI, AMBA, PCIe, DDR, high-speed serial protocols - Embedded Processors: ARM Cortex-M/A, RISC-V, or similar; associated toolchains and debugging - Embedded Platforms: Bare metal programming, FreeRTOS, Zephyr, or similar RTOS - RTL & Verification: Verilog/SystemVerilog (reading comprehension), ModelSim, Questasim, or similar simulation tools - Hardware Interfaces: Register-level programming, memory-mapped I/O, DMA - Distributed Embedded: Inter-node communication, message passing, distributed state management - Testing & QA: Unit testing frameworks, hardware-in-the-loop testing, integration testing - CI/CD: Jenkins, GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, or similar systems - Development Tools: CMake, Git, Docker - Debugging Tools: GDB, JTAG debuggers, logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, hardware protocol analyzers - Operating Systems: Linux (user-space tooling), embedded RTOS internals Technical Environment - Languages: Embedded C++ (primary), Python for tooling, Assembly for low-level optimization - Hardware Tools: JTAG debuggers, logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, protocol analyzers - Simulation: RTL simulators for hardware-software co-verification - Testing: Hardware-in-the-loop testing, automated regression suites, CI pipelines - Focus Areas: Firmware development, HAL implementation, hardware-software co-design What We Offer - A pivotal role in an innovative startup redefining the future of AI hardware. - A collaborative and intellectually stimulating work environment. - Competitive compensation package including equity participation. - Comprehensive benefits, including health, dental, and vision insurance. - Opportunities for career growth and future team leadership. - Access to cutting-edge technology and state-of-the-art facilities. - Opportunity to publish research and contribute to the field of efficient AI inference. This is an opportunity to work on a game-changing technology at the intersection of photonics and AI. As part of our elite team, you’ll contribute to a platform that redefines computational performance and accelerates the future of artificial intelligence. Be a key player in bringing this transformative innovation to the world. WHAT WE OFFER This is an opportunity to play a pivotal role in an innovative startup redefining the future of AI hardware. Work on a game-changing technology at the intersection of photonics and AI as part of a collaborative and brilliant team. You’ll contribute to a platform that redefines computational performance and accelerates the future of artificial intelligence. Come help us bring this transformative technology to the world. BENEFITS Join a team that invests in your future and your well-being. At Neurophos, we offer: - 100% coverage of base health plan premiums for you and your dependents, plus HSA contributions. - Unlimited PTO. No rigid vacation banks, just a focus on delivery. - 401(k) matching and stock option opportunities to ensure our success is your success. - Full suite of voluntary benefits, including Dental, Vision, Life, Hospital, Critical Illness, and Accident insurance. - Personalized Benefits. Choose the plans that fit your life and take the cash back for those that don’t.