Firmware QA Engineer

Gridware exists to enhance and protect the mother of all networks: the electrical grid. The grid touches everything, and when it grinds to a halt the consequences can be dire: wildfires burn, land is destroyed, property is damaged, progress stops, and lives are lost.  

Our team engineers an advanced sensing system to continuously analyze both the electrical and mechanical behavior of grid assets. Utilizing high precision sensor arrays, the system identifies and allows preemptive mitigation of faults. Our technology has been proven with utilities to bolster safety, reliability, and reduce customer outage durations. The demand for power will only increase. We protect the grid of today while we build the grid of tomorrow. 

Gridware is privately held and backed by the best climate-tech and Silicon Valley investors. We are headquartered in San Francisco, CA. 

Team Overview 

The Hardware Engineering team is responsible for designing and testing all of our devices, from mechanicals and electronics to the firmware and protocols they run. Our devices save lives, but doing this means supporting a diverse set of continuously-sampling sensors and we need tens of thousands of units to run super-reliably for 10 years in extremely challenging environments, ranging from snowy mountaintops to forests and deserts. 

Role Description 

The Firmware QA Engineer will, as a starting point, be responsible for the following: 

• Develop and maintain automated test scripts and frameworks for firmware testing, covering static analysis, unit, integration, system, and regression testing.  Measure and increase test coverage over time, making sure to emulate edge cases and failure scenarios. 

• With assistance from other teams, design and maintain automated hardware-in-the-loop test hardware to support regression testing. This will include everything from verifying wireless network functionality to testing sensor behavior. 

• Identify, document, and track firmware bugs, collaborating with the firmware engineering team to troubleshoot and resolve issues. 

• Monitor and analyze test results, creating detailed test reports and quality metrics to ensure continuous improvement in firmware quality. 

Requirements

Required Skills 

• 3+ years of experience in firmware quality assurance or embedded systems testing. 

• Experience working with embedded systems, including hands-on experience with firmware development environments, tools, and debugging. 

• Proficiency in Python and C for test automation, debugging, and firmware validation.  

• Some ability to read schematics and work with electronic test equipment such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers and voltmeters 

• Proficiency in Linux-based environments, including command-line tools and scripting for test automation and debugging. 

• Demonstrated experience with testing frameworks and tools. 

• Strong understanding of QA methodologies and best practices, with the ability to tailor testing processes for high-quality firmware release. 

• Experience working in a collaborative environment with agile development processes. 

• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to document and convey complex technical concepts clearly and concisely. 

• Excellent analytical skills with the ability to troubleshoot and isolate complex issues across firmware, Linux environments, and hardware. 

Bonus Skills 

• Experience with CI/CD tools.  

• Knowledge of industry standards and regulatory requirements for embedded systems in critical infrastructure. 

• Familiarity with environmental testing protocols (e.g., temperature, humidity, and vibration testing) for embedded devices. 

Benefits

Benefits 

• Health, Dental & Vision (Either partially or fully paid by Employer) 

• Paid parental leave 

• Every Other Monday off 

• “Off the Grid”, a two week per year paid break for all employees + stipend. 

• Commuter allowance 

• Flexible hours 

Gridware is an equal opportunity employer. We want applicants of diverse backgrounds and hire without regard to color, gender, religion, national origin, citizenship, disability, age, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by law.