Senior Embedded Software Application Engineer - Pleasanton, CA, United States
$180,000 - $220,000 USD yearly
Originally posted 26 February 2026 by the employer.
About the role
Alif Semiconductor is seeking a Senior Application Engineer in Pleasanton, CA to support the Ensemble family of microcontrollers. This role focuses on embedded firmware design, customer enablement, and application development across Zephyr Operating Systems and bare metal environments.
What you'll do
- Design embedded firmware, application examples, and proof-of-concept solutions. - Support customers with software integration, including Zephyr Operating Systems. - Create technical documentation such as application notes, quick start guides, and user manuals. - Collaborate with the marketing team to validate product requirements and review new product introduction materials. - Assist in business development activities and customer technical guidance.
What you'll need
- Bachelor’s or higher degree in Electrical Engineering or Computer Science. - 8+ years of experience developing firmware and/or software for embedded products. - Demonstrated experience developing device drivers and application software for digital and analog peripherals. - Proficiency developing software for bare metal and Real Time Operating Systems, with required Zephyr experience. - Proficiency in C and/or C++ programming with software development practices. - Hands-on experience with oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and standard lab equipment.
Nice to have
- Experience with IoT edge devices. - Experience with ML/AI applications. - Experience with image pipelines including camera, ISP, encoder, and display. - Knowledge of power management for embedded systems. - Familiarity with BLE and 802.15.4 protocols.
Skills: Embedded Firmware, Zephyr Operating Systems, device drivers, bare metal, IoT edge devices
This role has been open 119 days — well above the 55-day median for Embedded Firmware Engineering roles.
Embedded Firmware Engineering · Systems Software
|
Open roles in category
755
|
Median days open
55 d
|
Median salary
$169k
|
See the full market breakdown ▾Category comparison, skills in demand, and who else is hiring
| Metric | Alif Semiconductor | All employers we track in this specialty (755 roles · 85 employers) |
|---|---|---|
| Open roles in this specialty | 6 | 755 |
| Open roles in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family | 8 | 6298 · 145 employers |
| Median days open | 119 d | 55 d (+64 d vs this employer) |
| Median salary (USD postings) | — | $169k |
Skills observed across this category: Embedded Firmware, Zephyr Operating Systems, device drivers, bare metal, IoT edge devices
Who's hiring in this category
- Qualcomm · 125 open roles · median 52 d
- Micron Technology · 63 open roles · median 90 d
- AMD · 62 open roles · median 39 d
- NVIDIA · 56 open roles · median 59 d
- Lattice Semiconductor · 47 open roles · median 42 d
- NXP Semiconductors · 36 open roles · median 29 d
How we counted: 755 open Embedded Firmware Engineering (Systems Software) roles from 85 employers tracked in the SemiconductorJobs index, counted 22 Oct 2026. Specialty figures count only roles carrying this exact specialty label, so an employer's related work in neighbouring specialties is not included there — it is counted in the wider Software, Firmware & Systems family row. Figures refresh nightly.