---
title: 'Staff Firmware Engineer, Platform Security at ALSO'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/staff-firmware-engineer-platform-security-also-palo-alto-xjxeznamqh0z'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-03'
---

# Staff Firmware Engineer, Platform Security at ALSO

- **Company:** ALSO
- **Location:** Palo Alto, CA
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-08-14
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-03
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/ridealso/7c7e60da-4561-4204-8ba0-c5d502e8936a

## 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.

At ALSO, we are looking for a Staff Firmware Security Architect to set the technical direction for our vehicle firmware security platform — secure boot, cryptographic key lifecycle, network integrity, and trusted OTA.

You'd own the end-to-end security architecture that protects every ECU across our product portfolio, make the hard cross-cutting calls that product teams build on, and partner with cloud, manufacturing, and firmware teams to make security practical in CI, on the bench, and in production. You'd raise the bar for the entire organization through design leadership, mentorship, and hands-on delivery of the most critical trust paths in the vehicle.

## What You'll Do

- Secure boot & root of trust: define secure boot architecture across MCU families (ROM → bootloader → app) — image signing, verification, anti-rollback, and debug/JTAG lockdown for production — setting the standard other ECU teams adopt
- Key storage & management: own the on-device and fleet key strategy (HSM/OTP/secure element), key hierarchy design, and integration with signing and PKI services across development, manufacturing, and field
- Network & bus integrity: lead CAN/CAN-FD security design (authentication, integrity, encryption where required), and establish policies for protected diagnostics and secure UDS access platform-wide
- OTA security: own end-to-end trust for firmware updates — signed/encrypted payloads, on-device verification, rollback safety, and secure handoff between cloud signing infrastructure and vehicle update flows
- Platform security frameworks: architect reusable security libraries and APIs (crypto wrappers, secure storage, auth services) that product ECU teams adopt without reinventing trust
- Threat modeling & hardening: lead threat models across boot, update, and network attack surfaces, and partner with product and cloud teams on security reviews and production readiness
- Validation & cross-functional leadership: drive security test strategy (benchtop PoCs, negative tests, HIL scenarios), integrate critical checks into CI, mentor engineers on secure design, and align firmware, cloud, manufacturing, and systems stakeholders on requirements and trade-offs

## What You'll Bring

- 8+ years in embedded software/firmware development, with deep ownership of secure boot, crypto, or vehicle/IoT security architecture, and a proven track record setting technical direction across multiple ECUs or products, not just one component
- BS in an engineering discipline (Computer Science or Electrical Engineering preferred; MS or equivalent depth a plus)
- Hands-on expertise with cryptographic primitives and embedded crypto (AES, ECC/RSA, HMAC, certificates) on constrained MCUs, including key provisioning, OTP/fuse programming, and HSM or secure element usage in production
- Experience designing and shipping secure boot chains, bootloaders, signed firmware images, and OTA trust models in production
- Experience securing vehicle or industrial networks (CAN/CAN-FD, authenticated messaging, secure diagnostics) is a strong plus
- Expert-level C/C++ on bare-metal or RTOS (FreeRTOS, Zephyr, ThreadX, or similar), with deep comfort with linkers, memory maps, and debugging tools (JTAG/SWD)
- Ability to wire signing and verification into CI/release pipelines and drive platform-wide adoption
- Excellent communication skills — able to document security architecture, threat models, and runbooks, and mentor senior engineers; hardware-in-the-loop testing and emulation experience is a plus

The salary for this position ranges from $200,000 - $240,000 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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