---
title: 'Staff Validation & Tools Engineer - Embedded Firmware at ALSO'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/staff-validation-tools-engineer-embedded-firmware-also-palo-alto-a0kr06v4nn5n'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-11-05'
---

# Staff Validation & Tools Engineer - Embedded Firmware at ALSO

- **Company:** ALSO
- **Location:** Palo Alto, CA
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-10-19
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-11-05
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/ridealso/d79e86d4-6217-4aa8-9d26-331069684e14

## 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 Validation & Tools Engineer focused on Embedded Firmware and Software Validation, you will own the validation strategy, tooling architecture, and system-level quality approach for our flagship and next-generation products. This is a very hands-on role and will require a 0 to 1 mindset. You will build and scale validation frameworks across firmware, software, connectivity, mobile, cloud-adjacent systems, and HIL environments. You will partner closely with Hardware, Firmware, Systems, Product, Mobile, Cloud, and Test Engineering teams to improve testability, traceability, release readiness, and early issue detection. This role is ideal for someone who can set technical direction, build practical validation infrastructure, mentor engineers, and help create a quality-first culture in a fast-moving product environment.

## What You Will Do

- Define the technical vision, architecture, and roadmap for embedded firmware and software validation across product programs.
- Design, scale, and maintain SIL and HIL validation infrastructure to support automated system-level testing, regression coverage, release readiness, and issue reproduction.
- Build and evolve validation frameworks that improve test coverage, execution speed, reliability, traceability, and quality reporting across firmware and software releases.
- Establish clear validation metrics, including test coverage, pass/fail trends, defect escape rate, regression health, automation coverage, and release readiness indicators.
- Lead end-to-end validation planning for new features, firmware releases, connectivity workflows, and system-level product behavior.
- Partner with Hardware, Firmware, Systems, Mobile, Cloud, and Product teams to ensure requirements are testable, risks are understood, and validation plans are aligned before implementation.
- Lead technical root-cause analysis for complex system issues across hardware, firmware, embedded software, connectivity, and test infrastructure.
- Develop and improve automated test tooling using Python-based frameworks such as Robot Framework, Pytest, or similar tools.
- Integrate validation workflows into CI/CD pipelines using Jenkins, GitLab CI, or similar systems to enable repeatable, scalable release validation.
- Use SIL/HIL environments, embedded debug tools, logs, sniffers, and hardware interfaces to reproduce, isolate, and resolve defects.
- Mentor junior and mid-level engineers on validation strategy, debugging methods, test design, automation best practices, and quality ownership.
- Communicate validation status, technical risks, quality trends, and release readiness clearly to engineering and product leadership.

## What You Will Bring

- Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related technical field.
- 10+ years of experience in software quality engineering and embedded systems testing, with a proven track record of technical leadership in scaling complex validation frameworks.
- A track record of leading validation strategy or test architecture for complex embedded, connected, automotive, mobility, IoT, or software-defined vehicle platforms.
- Demonstrated experience building or scaling automated validation frameworks for firmware, embedded software, system-level testing, or hardware-in-the-loop environments.
- Hands-on experience testing RTOS-based or Linux-based embedded systems.
- Strong understanding of embedded architectures, microcontrollers, bootloaders, firmware update flows, hardware/software interfaces, and board-level debug workflows.
- Practical experience with embedded debug tools and interfaces such as JTAG, serial consoles, SWD, logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, or equivalent tools.
- Experience validating connectivity, location services, mobile-connected features, or wireless technologies such as cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, BLE, or GNSS.
- Strong programming and scripting skills, especially in Python, with experience using automation frameworks such as Robot Framework, Pytest, or similar tools.
- Working knowledge of CI/CD systems and automated validation workflows using Jenkins, GitLab CI, GitHub Actions, or similar platforms.
- Experience with SIL and HIL validation environments, including test execution, automation, reporting, defect reproduction, and regression analysis.
- Familiarity with test management, requirements management, and bug tracking tools used for release reporting, validation traceability, and quality metrics.
- Hands-on experience with embedded and automotive communication protocols such as UDS, XCP, CAN, CAN-FD, I2C, SPI, UART, USB, USB-PD, or similar interfaces.
- Practical experience using automotive network analysis or sniffer tools such as Vector CANoe, CANalyzer, or equivalent tools.
- Ability to lead root-cause analysis across hardware, firmware, software, connectivity, and validation infrastructure.
- Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain validation strategy, quality risks, technical trade-offs, and release readiness to engineering and product stakeholders.
- A passion for mentoring engineers, improving validation discipline, and building a quality-first culture in a fast-moving startup environment.

The salary for this position ranges from $225,000 - $260,000 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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