---
title: 'Embedded Software Developer at Alif Semiconductor'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/embedded-software-developer-alif-semiconductor-pleasanton-qy952ytpgzd7'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-06'
---

# Embedded Software Developer at Alif Semiconductor

- **Company:** Alif Semiconductor
- **Location:** Pleasanton, CA
- **Compensation:** $150k–$250k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2022-11-08
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-06
- **Apply:** https://jobs.lever.co/alifsemi/630dfffe-b311-47f5-b0a3-3374e119da47

## Job description

Alif Semiconductor is revolutionizing the way secure connected AI-enabled embedded solutions are created. We are looking for motivated individuals who want to be involved in a fast-paced environment with cutting-edge technology.

As an Embedded Software Developer for the Secure Processing Element, you will be responsible for developing and releasing to production the security firmware and supporting tools for the Secure Enclave in Alif’s MCU/MPU products. You will work closely with fellow firmware developers, system architects and senior management in order to define and architect the Secure Enclave (SE) firmware, which consists of both system ROM code and runtime firmware running in the SE’s local ram on ARM based cores.  In addition, you will work with others on the development of SW tools that are needed for provisioning the security credentials into the device.  As a Security Firmware developer, you must be very familiar with embedded system security and cryptography, be able to identify system threats and issues and develop embedded firmware using common cryptographic operations to minimize these system threats. You will also work with Alif marketing and lead customers / partners in order integrate market feedback on the security and configuration requirements. Our products are built around advanced Arm cores and bus architectures with a focus on IoT architecture, low power operation and system security. We expect the candidate to have prior experience in an embedded SW development team and to be familiar with ARM MCU’s and MPU’s.

## Responsibilities

- Develop a mastery of the security threats for our products and understand the competitive security offerings of our competition
- Have a deep understanding of our hardware system security functions and security firmware in the system
- Architect and develop portions of the Secure Enclave Firmware and system provisioning tools.
- Utilize the quality SW development process in order to complete the deliverables in a timely manor
- Collaborate with other SE Firmware team members (discussions and review meetings, etc.)

## Qualifications

- Degree in Computer Science or related computer software fields.
- 5-10+ years prior experience with embedded security firmware / software development
- Strong knowledge of cryptography functions and embedded security architecture
- Knowledge and experience with embedded MCU programming (C, C++ and Python)
- Experience with embedded SW development tools (Git, Jira, CI tools, etc.)
- Familiar with ARM MCU’s / MPU’s and embedded systems architecture
- Ability to balance technical excellence with commercial / business pressures
- Good communication skills and the ability to work with all levels in an organization
- Demonstrable experience of on-time delivery of quality architectures

Alif Semiconductor provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

## About Alif Semiconductor

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Alif Semiconductor is revolutionizing the way developers create products using secure, AI/ML-enabled 32-bit microcontrollers that combine scalability, high compute performance, and exceptional power efficiency.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Venture Capital-Backed)
- **Headquarters**: Pleasanton, California, USA (with additional offices in Irvine, CA; Bangalore, India; Oulu, Finland; and Singapore)
- **Founded**: 2019
- **Founders**: Syed Ali (CEO & Co-Founder), Reza Kazerounian (President & Co-Founder)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Semiconductor Manufacturing, Embedded Systems, Edge AI/ML
- **Target customers**: B2B; developers and OEMs in consumer, industrial, and enterprise IoT applications
- **Mission or purpose statement**: To provide highly integrated processors that enable applications requiring scalable processing (Single to Multi-Core, RTOS and Linux), long battery life, strong security, high integration, and Edge AI/ML [alifsemi.com](https://alifsemi.com/careers/)

## Products & Services
- **Ensemble and Balletto MCU Families**: A new class of "fusion processors" that unify compute, connectivity, and intelligent processing in a single architecture. These 32-bit microcontrollers feature:
  - **aiPM Technology**: A proprietary power architecture that autonomously powers on only what is needed, enabling "unrivaled battery life."
  - **HW Accelerated AI**: One or more dedicated Ethos-U55/U85 Neural Processing Units, delivering at least 40x faster AI performance than conventional MCUs (up to 250 GigaOPS).
  - **Scalable Performance**: Seamless scaling from single-core to multi-core, with up to 3670 DMIPS combined compute performance and up to 19 MB+ integrated memory.
  - **Multilayered Security**: A strong Root of Trust, isolated secure subsystem, identity protection, cryptographic services, and fine-grained run-time security.
- **Type**: Hardware (Semiconductors/Microcontrollers) with integrated software ecosystem.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Key Metric**: **Total Funding**: USD $235.4M across three rounds [linkedin.com](https://linkedin.com/company/alif-semiconductor)
  - Series B (2022-03-16): $113.4M
  - Venture Round (2019-02-28): $72.0M
  - Series B (2019-12-01): $50.0M
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Includes Mamoon Hamid (Board Director); backed by top-tier venture capital. Key talent sourced from Renesas, Nordic Semiconductor, Marvell, and Qualcomm.
- **Growth Signals**:
  - **Headcount**: 113 employees (+8.1% YoY) [linkedin.com](https://linkedin.com/company/alif-semiconductor)
  - **Active Hiring**: 10 open positions; job postings up 25% monthly and quarterly
  - **LinkedIn Followers**: 16,991 (+26.6% yearly growth)
  - **Global Presence**: Offices in 4 countries (USA, India, Finland, Singapore) with employees in 5 countries

## Competitive Advantages
- **First-Mover in AI-Enabled MCUs**: Alif created a new category of fusion processors that natively integrate AI/ML acceleration, security, and power management on a single die—a clear differentiator from legacy MCU vendors.
- **Unrivaled Power Efficiency**: The aiPM architecture allows for battery life previously unheard of in connected devices, a critical moat for IoT and edge applications.
- **Scalable Single-Chip Design**: Developers can reuse the same software across a wide spectrum of products, from simple sensors to complex edge devices, reducing time-to-market.
- **Strong Security Foundation**: A multi-layered, hardware-backed security approach is fundamental to the design, addressing a key pain point for connected devices.
- **Top-Tier Team**: The executive team and engineering staff are veterans of the semiconductor industry, with deep domain expertise in MCUs [alifsemi.com](https://alifsemi.com/about/).

## Strategic Focus
- **Growth & Scale**: Aggressively hiring to expand engineering, sales, and field application teams globally.
- **Product Expansion**: Continuing to develop and launch new families of AI-enabled MCUs to capture the growing edge AI and IoT markets.
- **Market Penetration**: Targeting consumer, industrial, and enterprise applications where low power, high performance, and security are paramount.
- **Ecosystem Development**: Building a robust software and partner ecosystem to support developers.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture**: A diverse, global workforce representing over 40 nationalities. The company puts "learning and growth first," offering hands-on complex projects and daily challenges. They seek "doers who want to make a big impact" [alifsemi.com](https://alifsemi.com/careers/).
- **Work Policy**: Hybrid/office presence across multiple global hubs (Pleasanton, CA; Irvine, CA; Bangalore, India; Oulu, Finland; Singapore).
- **Benefits**:
  - Competitive salary and equity
  - 401K (US) or equivalent retirement plans (Global)
  - Paid Time Off and Holidays
  - Health Insurance and Sick Leave
  - Maternity & Paternity Leave
- **Engineering Culture**: A heavy emphasis on technical excellence—47% of the workforce is in technical roles. Engineers work on cutting-edge silicon, RTOS, and AI/ML at the edge.
- **Employer Rating**: 3.8/5.0 on LinkedIn (based on 26 reviews), with a high career development score of 3.9/5.0 [linkedin.com](https://linkedin.com/company/alif-semiconductor).

## Sources
1. [Alif Semiconductor Official Website](https://alifsemi.com/)
2. [Alif Semiconductor Careers Page](https://alifsemi.com/careers/)
3. [Alif Semiconductor About Page](https://alifsemi.com/about/)
4. [Alif Semiconductor Job Listings (Lever)](https://jobs.lever.co/alifsemi)
5. [Alif Semiconductor LinkedIn Page](https://linkedin.com/company/alif-semiconductor)

## Other roles at Alif Semiconductor

- [(Senior) Embedded Software Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-embedded-software-engineer-alif-semiconductor-oulu-6zg3hpxtpe1h) — Oulu, Finland
- [Senior/Staff Application Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-staff-application-engineer-alif-semiconductor-oulu-azz492ew0nyf) — Oulu, Finland
- [(Senior) Embedded Software Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-embedded-software-engineer-alif-semiconductor-oulu-79kc8evespxd) — Oulu, Finland
- [(Senior) Design Verification Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-design-verification-engineer-alif-semiconductor-oulu-mwyqqxt0vzas) — Oulu, Finland
- [Senior Software Developer- USB](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-developer-usb-alif-semiconductor-bengaluru-0mjn8z9675mb) — Bengaluru, India
- [Senior Embedded Software Application Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-embedded-software-application-engineer-alif-semiconductor-pleasanton-cmv8jbxv2ebv) — Pleasanton, CA
- [Senior Product Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-product-engineer-alif-semiconductor-singapore-3vpknd9qqn4b) — Singapore
- [Embedded Software Application Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/embedded-software-application-engineer-alif-semiconductor-pleasanton-gq6yetabpys5) — Pleasanton, CA
- [Senior Embedded Software Developer(RTOS)](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-embedded-software-developer-rtos-alif-semiconductor-bengaluru-006hgqnaap0j) — Bengaluru, India
- [Sr. Digital Implementation Engineer](https://feeny.ai/job/sr-digital-implementation-engineer-alif-semiconductor-irvine-kdcmzm3wbf7z) — Irvine, CA