---
title: 'Staff Firmware Architecture Engineer, Propulsion and Battery at ALSO'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/staff-firmware-architecture-engineer-propulsion-and-battery-also-palo-alto-dssjjaz96thq'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-10'
---

# Staff Firmware Architecture Engineer, Propulsion and Battery at ALSO

- **Company:** ALSO
- **Location:** Palo Alto, CA
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-08-11
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-10
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/ridealso/24174c52-8f55-43c3-803f-9fe1257ed00c

## Job description

About ALSO. We’re ALSO, an electric mobility company originally conceived as a part of Rivian. We’re a passionate team of builders, dreamers, doers and innovators, focused on creating entirely new (not to mention, innovative and delightful) vertically integrated, small EVs designed to meet the global mobility challenges of today and tomorrow. Our mission is to inspire everyone to ride ALSO—replacing many local car, truck and SUV miles with ones on vehicles that are more affordable, more enjoyable and 10-50x more efficient.

As a Staff Firmware Architecture Engineer, Propulsion and Battery at ALSO, you'll play a large role in platform-level firmware development, serving as a key contributor to the foundational software layers that enable all vehicle products, including drivers, real-time operating system integration, and build infrastructure. You'll own the end-to-end design, development, and testing of critical embedded software and tooling that supports the full scope of ALSO's products, and drive architectural decisions for the firmware platform and build systems that let teams efficiently develop, test, and deploy firmware across the product portfolio.

## What You'll Do

- Lead architectural discussion supporting the design and implementation of hardware abstraction layers, peripheral drivers, and board support packages across MCU families
- Support RTOS configuration, integration, and optimization, driving decisions on OS selection, task architecture, and resource management
- Design and develop frameworks for core platform functions like telemetry generation, firmware updates, and health monitoring, in reusable, common libraries
- Contribute to Bazel-based build infrastructure and CI/CD improvements, ensuring reproducible builds, efficient dependency management, scalable build configurations, toolchain maintenance, and fast, reliable pipelines
- Contribute to coding standards, driver interface design, and platform APIs, making informed architectural decisions on MCU selection, memory management, and peripheral allocation
- Ensure architectural decisions support boot time optimization, memory footprint reduction, and runtime performance tuning across the platform
- Collaborate with other engineering disciplines (Electrical, Mechanical, Test, etc.) and other Firmware teams to design, document, and integrate robust, reusable, and scalable software across ECUs
- Provide vehicle system integration support, including feature implementation, ECU handshaking, debugging, and root cause analysis
- Drive firmware initiatives to ensure product quality and vehicle safety in the powertrain and battery systems

## What You'll Bring

- B.S. or M.S. in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field
- 7+ years of experience in firmware development, ideally in safety-critical, time-sensitive, and resource-constrained environments
- Previous experience as a Software Architect, familiar with the attributes that make code portable, maintainable, and scalable
- Expert in C programming, ideally familiar with C++, Python, and bash scripting
- Experience delivering software-enabled hardware products, including low-level firmware development (drivers, bootloaders), with hands-on debugging in real-world environments using embedded diagnostics tooling such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and JTAG
- Strong understanding of control systems and system integration, with familiarity in electric drivetrains, battery technology, and common vehicle communication protocols and peripherals (e.g. ADC, CAN, force, IMU sensors)
- Familiarity with model-based design and software development tools such as MATLAB/Simulink
- Familiarity with real-time operating system platforms, ideally in functional-safety critical applications
- Familiarity with static analysis and linting tools to ensure software quality and correctness, and experience with CI/CD and test automation applied to consumer-facing, software-enabled hardware products
- Highly collaborative mindset and strong communication skills

The salary for this position ranges from $210,000 - $245,000 per year, depending on experience, qualifications, and location.

## Perks & Benefits

- Robust health coverage — excellent health, dental and vision insurance covered up to 100% by ALSO with FSA & HSA options
- One Medical membership and dedicated insurance advocates
- Rich fertility and family building benefits with Progyny
- Flexible time off
- 401(k) match

Why ALSO. We’re passionate about helping the world find a better way to get there—wherever it is you’re headed. We’re located in the heart of Silicon Valley and have brought together a world-class team from some of the biggest brands in the technology, automotive, cycling, outdoor recreation and retail spaces. Together we’re working hands-on to imagine, design and build an entirely new solution to a global set of transportation challenges.

## About ALSO

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: ALSO is an electric mobility company designing and building small, vertically integrated electric vehicles for moving people and goods, originally incubated within Rivian.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series C, Unicorn)
- **Headquarters**: Palo Alto, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2025
- **Founders**: Not publicly disclosed; the company was formed as a stealth team within Rivian before spinning out as an independent entity.

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Alternative Fuel Vehicle Manufacturing / Electric Mobility
- **Target customers**: B2C (urban consumers) and B2B (logistics, delivery, and transportation partners)
- **Mission**: To build the world’s best small vehicles for moving people and goods, driven and autonomous, with a focus on sustainability and rethinking transportation from first principles.

## Products & Services
Based on publicly available information, ALSO has not yet announced specific product names beyond the “TM” and “TM-” references on its website. The company is developing a vertically integrated technology platform that spans motors, batteries, electronics, and software. Its product lineup includes small EVs for both consumer and commercial use, with a flagship vehicle set to launch in early 2026.

- **[Flagship Small EV (unnamed)]**: A vertically integrated, small electric vehicle for urban and commercial use. It combines in-house powertrain, battery, electronics, and autonomy software. Launch expected in early 2026, initially in the U.S. and Europe. [ridealso.com](https://ridealso.com/pages/news)
- **Commercial Platform**: ALSO works with logistics, delivery, and transportation partners to deliver custom solutions at scale. [ridealso.com](https://ridealso.com/pages/company)

## Market Standing
- **Valuation**: $1–2.5B (unicorn status) as of March 2026 (latest valuation per Dealroom). [dealroom.co](https://dealroom.co/companies/ridealso-com/)
- **Total Funding**: $505M across four rounds.
  - Corporate Round (Feb 2025) – 1 investor
  - Series B (Mar 2025) – $105M led by Eclipse
  - Venture Round (Aug 2025) – $200M led by Greenoaks
  - Series C (Mar 2026) – $200M led by Greenoaks, with participation from other investors
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Eclipse Ventures, Greenoaks. ALSO works with commercial partners in logistics and transportation sectors.
- **Growth Signals**: Headcount grew 290.9% year-over-year to 205 employees (LinkedIn, as of mid-2026). The company is actively hiring 48 open positions across engineering, product, and operations. It operates in five countries (U.S., Taiwan, U.K., South Africa, China). Strong talent inflow from Rivian (56 employees), Tesla, Apple, and Cruise. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/ridealso)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Vertically Integrated Technology**: In-house development of motors, batteries, electronics, and software enables a tightly optimized, high-performance EV platform.
- **Rivian Pedigree**: Originally incubated within Rivian, benefiting from automotive rigor and advanced software/autonomy expertise.
- **Focus on Small EVs**: Addresses a rapidly growing market segment where 80% of car trips are under 15 miles, with urban population projected to reach 7 billion by 2050.
- **Strong Financial Backing**: $505M in funding from top-tier investors, providing ample runway for product launch and scaling.

## Strategic Focus
- **Product Launch**: Introduce the flagship small EV in early 2026, first in the U.S. and Europe, then globally.
- **Commercial Expansion**: Deepen partnerships with logistics, delivery, and transportation companies to scale custom vehicle solutions.
- **Technology Platform**: Continue to advance in-house autonomy, sensing, and connectivity features to differentiate the user experience.
- **Talent Growth**: Rapidly hiring across engineering, design, and operations to support product development and future scaling.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-Driven Culture**: Employees are described as “builders, technologists, designers, and dreamers” focused on creating sustainable, delightful mobility.
- **High-Growth Environment**: Headcount has tripled year-over-year, offering early employees significant impact and career acceleration.
- **Top-Tier Team**: Colleagues come from Rivian, Tesla, Apple, Cruise, and other elite companies, fostering a culture of craft and excellence.
- **Technical Depth**: Opportunities to work on cutting-edge EV hardware, software, autonomy, and battery systems. Open roles include Senior Software Engineer (ML), Motor Controls Engineer, Battery Design Engineer, and Staff Reliability Engineer.
- **Office Locations**: Hubs in Palo Alto (vehicle engineering, software, design), Seattle (customer experience & commerce), and Taichung, Taiwan (supply chain & logistics). The work policy is not explicitly stated but likely hybrid or office-first given the hardware focus.
- **Perks**: Not publicly detailed, but as a well-funded unicorn, competitive compensation and equity packages are standard.

## Sources
1. [ridealso.com](https://ridealso.com/pages/company)
2. [ridealso.com](https://ridealso.com/pages/news)
3. [linkedin.com](https://www.linkedin.com/company/ridealso)
4. [dealroom.co](https://dealroom.co/companies/ridealso-com/)
5. [ridealso.com](https://ridealso.com/)

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