Junior Firmware Engineer
The future of defense will be decided by those who field intelligent machines at scale. At Scout AI, we’re developing Fury, the first robotic foundation model for defense, to give U.S. forces overwhelming, adaptable, and autonomous power across every domain. Fury enables human operators to command fleets of robots through natural language, and empowers those machines to sense, decide, and act together as one. This mission will ask everything of us: urgency, precision, and relentless work.
The Role We’re looking for a Junior Firmware Engineer who is excited about working close to the hardware layer, especially bringing up and validating sensors on new platforms. This role focuses on developing low-level firmware and drivers that enable sensors to function reliably in embedded and robotics systems.
You’ll work with experienced engineers across hardware, robotics, and AI to ensure sensor data is accurate, stable, and production-ready. We’re a startup. You’ll be moving fast, context-switching daily, and helping define the culture and process as we go. This is a rare opportunity to come in early and architect the future of defense.
Responsibilities
Develop and debug sensor drivers for embedded platforms
Bring up new sensors (IMU, camera interfaces, LiDAR modules, environmental sensors)
Work with hardware engineers during board bring-up and validation
Implement and test communication protocols
I2C, SPI, UART, CAN
Write firmware for microcontrollers and embedded processors
Build tools and tests to validate sensor data quality and reliability
Troubleshoot hardware-software integration issues
Contribute to firmware architecture and documentation
Qualifications
Strong fundamentals in C or C++ for embedded systems
Understanding of microcontrollers and embedded development workflows
Familiarity with basic electronics concepts (signals, timing, debugging)
Experience working with hardware interfaces like SPI, I2C, or UART
Ability to read datasheets and implement drivers from documentation
Strong debugging mindset and attention to detail
Interest in robotics, embedded systems, or hardware-adjacent software
Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export controlled information or facilities
Why Join Scout
Work on the world’s most important frontier, ensuring U.S. and allied dominance in the age of intelligent machines
Be a core part of a team building the first defense-specific robotic foundation model
Collaborate with some of the top engineers in autonomy, AI, and national security
See your work deployed on real systems
Help define the future of intelligent defense systems
Backed by Draper Associates, Booz Allen Ventures, and other top investors
Benefits
Competitive base salary and bonus
Meaningful equity
Premium medical, dental, and vision plans with $0 paycheck contribution
Competitive PTO and company holiday calendar
Unlimited AI tokens
Catered lunch daily and fully stocked kitchen
EV charging
Relocation assistance (depending on role eligibility)
The stated salary range below represents an estimated base pay only and reflects consideration of multiple compensation factors. Final salary offers may differ depending on factors including, but not limited to, relevant experience or training background, specialized skills, and business needs. Most full-time positions also include highly competitive equity awards, which form part of Scout AI's overall compensation package. In addition, Scout AI provides comprehensive, top-tier benefits to full-time employees.
US Salary Range $145,000 — $220,000 USD