Groq delivers fast, efficient AI inference. Our LPU-based system powers GroqCloud™, giving businesses and developers the speed and scale they need. From our Bay Area roots to our growing global presence, we are on a mission to make high performance AI compute more accessible and affordable. When real-time AI is within reach, anything is possible. Build fast.

Senior Staff Firmware Engineer

Mission:

Own the end‑to‑end development of low‑level firmware that brings Groq’s AI‑accelerator hardware to life. Drive architectural decisions, mentor a growing team of firmware engineers, and champion best‑in‑class processes that accelerate time‑to‑market while raising the overall quality and reliability of our products.

Responsibilities & opportunities in this role:

Technical Leadership
- Serve as the primary technical authority for firmware across the product stack (bootloader, drivers, RTOS, application‑level services). Provide vision, set standards, and make trade‑off decisions that balance performance, power, security, and maintainability.
Team Enablement
- Lift up the team by conducting regular design reviews, pair‑programming sessions, and “firmware brown‑bag” tech talks. Mentor junior and mid‑level engineers; create growth paths that move engineers toward senior‑staff or principal levels.
Architecture & Design
- Translate Product Requirement Documents (PRDs) into detailed firmware specifications, architecture diagrams, and interface contracts.
- Define modular, reusable firmware frameworks that can be leveraged across multiple Groq products.
- Leverage deep Embedded Linux and RTOS expertise, including crafting and maintaining Device Tree blobs to describe firmware‑hardware configuration for custom board integration.
- Design and document the firmware‑hardware interface, ensuring seamless integration with the device tree and RTOS layers.
Performance & Reliability
- Lead systematic profiling, optimization, and validation of latency‑critical paths (e.g., LPU DMA, interrupt latency, power‑state transitions). Implement robust error‑handling, watchdog, and safety mechanisms to guarantee > 99.99 % uptime in production.
Cross‑Functional Collaboration
- Work hand‑in‑hand with hardware, silicon, system‑software, and AI‑software teams to co‑design interfaces (PCIe, DDR, high‑speed SerDes, I²C, SPI, etc.). Drive integration‑test strategies and resolve cross‑domain bugs quickly.
Continuous Improvement
- Identify and implement process improvements (CI/CD pipelines for firmware, automated regression testing, static analysis, code‑review standards). Champion a culture of data‑driven decision making that yields measurable quality gains.
Bring‑up & Debug
- Lead bring‑up activities for new LPU silicon, including bootloader development, early‑stage peripheral bring‑up, and post‑silicon validation. Perform hands‑on debugging in the lab using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, JTAG/SWD, and in‑system trace tools.
Security & Compliance
- Integrate secure boot, firmware encryption, attestation, and other security primitives. Support product certification (e.g., FCC, CE) and GTM readiness activities.

Ideal candidates have/are:

B.S. in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
10+ years of professional firmware development experience on complex, high‑performance SoC/ASIC platforms (preferably AI/ML accelerators).
Deep knowledge of C/C++ (C‑11 or later), assembly, and low‑level hardware interaction (memory‑mapped I/O, interrupt handling, DMA, bootloader design).
Proven experience with real‑time operating systems (FreeRTOS, Zephyr, VxWorks, ThreadX) and/or bare‑metal firmware for latency‑critical workloads.
Proficiency with high‑speed interfaces (PCIe Gen3/4, DDR4/5, SerDes, Ethernet), and lower‑speed buses (SPI, I²C, UART, CAN).

Nice to have:

AI/ML Firmware – Prior work on firmware for AI/ML inference engines, tensor accelerators, or similar workloads.
Datacenter Exposure – Understanding of server‑grade power, cooling, and reliability requirements.

Compensation: At Groq, a competitive base salary is part of our comprehensive compensation package, which includes equity and benefits. For this role, the base salary range is $193k to $330k, determined by your location, skills, qualifications, experience and internal benchmarks. This range is specific to roles in the United States, compensation for candidates outside the USA will be dependent on the local market.

#LI-Remote, #LI-Hybrid, #LI-Onsite

Groq is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees and applicants. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), age, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Groq complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We do not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any protected characteristic.

Groq is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with physical or mental disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete an application or to participate in the hiring process, please contact us at talent@groq.com. This contact is for accommodation requests only, which will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

All offers of employment are contingent upon verification of the applicant’s identity and employment authorization in accordance with federal law.

Groq encourages people with criminal record histories to apply for employment, and values diverse experiences, including prior contact with the criminal legal system. To that end, Groq welcomes such applicants in accordance with the California Fair Chance Act, Los Angeles City Fair Chance Act Ordinance, Los Angeles County Fair Chance Act Ordinance, and San Francisco Fair Chance Act Ordinance. Philadelphia applicants can review information pertaining to Philadelphia’s Fair Criminal Record Screening Standards Ordinance here: https://www.phila.gov/documents/fair-chance-hiring-law-poster.

Req ID: R641

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