Firmware Engineer Co-Op

Who we are
Samsara (NYSE: IOT) is the pioneer of the Connected Operations™ Cloud, which is a platform that enables organizations that depend on physical operations to harness Internet of Things (IoT) data to develop actionable insights and improve their operations. At Samsara, we are helping improve the safety, efficiency and sustainability of the physical operations that power our global economy. Representing more than 40% of global GDP, these industries are the infrastructure of our planet, including agriculture, construction, field services, transportation, and manufacturing — and we are excited to help digitally transform their operations at scale.
Working at Samsara means you’ll help define the future of physical operations and be on a team that’s shaping an exciting array of product solutions, including Video-Based Safety, Vehicle Telematics, Apps and Driver Workflows, and Equipment Monitoring. As part of a recently public company, you’ll have the autonomy and support to make an impact as we build for the long term.
Who we are
Samsara (NYSE: IOT) is the pioneer of the Connected Operations™ Cloud, which is a platform that enables organizations that depend on physical operations to harness Internet of Things (IoT) data to develop actionable insights and improve their operations. At Samsara, we are helping improve the safety, efficiency and sustainability of the physical operations that power our global economy. Representing more than 40% of global GDP, these industries are the infrastructure of our planet, including agriculture, construction, field services, transportation, and manufacturing — and we are excited to help digitally transform their operations at scale.
Working at Samsara means you’ll help define the future of physical operations and be on a team that’s shaping an exciting array of product solutions, including Video-Based Safety, Vehicle Telematics, Apps and Driver Workflows, Equipment Monitoring, and Site Visibility. As part of a recently public company, you’ll have the autonomy and support to make an impact as we build for the long term.
This is a hybrid position requiring 3 days per week in our San Francisco, CA headquarter office and 2 days working remotely. Relocation and housing assistance will be included as part of the co-op.
About this role:
Samsara’s cloud-connected sensor platform collects observations about the world in near real-time. Samsara builds an extensive set of products, including battery-powered, wireless sensors, linux-based IoT gateways, and Internet-connected dashcams. These devices are the building blocks Samsara uses to construct enterprise solutions for a wide range of verticals, including commercial fleet management and industrial monitoring. Through a unique integration of sensor data such as GPS, acceleration, temperature, video, and more, we enable our customers to gain greater insights into operations, identify and eliminate inefficiencies, and react to alerts all in near real-time.
As a firmware engineering intern-MCU at Samsara, you will develop software that runs on millions of devices, deployed by our industrial and enterprise customers. You’ll tackle challenges including evaluating and selecting hardware components, bringing up new hardware platforms and sensors, building systems to gather data and detect meaningful events, and structuring recorded data to allow efficient analysis across thousands of devices while providing deep insights into individual events.
You should apply if:
You want to impact the industries that run our world: The software, firmware, and hardware you build will result in real-world impact—helping to keep the lights on, get food into grocery stores, and most importantly, ensure workers return home safely.
You want to build for scale: With over 2.3 million IoT devices deployed to our global customers, you will work on a range of new and mature technologies driving scalable innovation for customers across industries driving the world's physical operations.
You are a life-long learner: We have ambitious goals. Every Samsarian has a growth mindset as we work with a wide range of technologies, challenges, and customers that push us to learn on the go.
You believe customers are more than a number: Samsara engineers enjoy a rare closeness to the end user and you will have the opportunity to participate in customer interviews, collaborate with customer success and product managers, and use metrics to ensure our work is translating into better customer outcomes.
You are a team player: Working on our Samsara Engineering teams requires a mix of independent effort and collaboration. Motivated by our mission, we’re all racing toward our connected operations vision, and we intend to win together.
In this role, you will:
Collaborate with other firmware engineers on the team to design, develop and maintain embedded software for our gateway and sensor products
Bring up new hardware platforms: configuring I/O, debugging interfaces such as SPI, I2C, UART, CAN and ADC, testing connectivity, validating design and debugging system initialization
Implement peripheral drivers, secure bootloaders and device firmware update, core management layers (power manager, connectivity manager, etc)
Design protocols and implement efficient hardware management to optimize energy consumption of battery powered sensors and gateways
Work cross-functionally with different stakeholders across product, full-stack and quality teams to deliver reliable high quality embedded software
Gain hands on experience in a fast-paced and innovative environment
Get valuable mentorship and guidance from experienced firmware engineers
Be exposed to the entire product development lifecycle, from concept to deployment
Requirements for the role:
Enrolled in a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field .
Must have solid C programming skills
Familiarity with embedded programming concepts
Prior experience with MCU development environments and tools (Segger J-Link, GCC)
Experience working in bare metal and RTOS-based systems such as Zephyr and/or FreeRTOS
Experience in one or more core technologies such as BLE, GPS, LTE and CAN
Strong problem-solving skills and an analytical mindset to debug and optimize code.
Be excited about sensors, connectivity protocols, distributed systems, and their application to solve real world problems
Thrive in an environment that requires rapid deployment and product iteration based on customer feedback while focusing on automated testing and code quality
Any prior projects, coursework, or personal projects related to embedded systems and firmware development would be advantageous.
At Samsara, we welcome all. All sizes, colors, cultures, sexes, beliefs, religions, ages, people. We depend on the unique approaches of our team members to help us solve complex problems. We are committed to increasing diversity across our team and ensuring that Samsara is a place where people from all backgrounds can make an impact.
The range of annual base salary for full-time employees for this position is below. Please note that base pay offered may vary depending on factors including your city of residence, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. This role is also eligible for an initial RSU grant with no vesting cliff, and ongoing refresh opportunities tied to performance, subject to plan terms and conditions. Learn more about our total rewards and benefits below.
Annual Base Salary
$38—$58 USD
Total Rewards
At Samsara, we build for the people who keep the global economy moving. We want owners, not passengers, which is why our rewards are designed to fuel high-impact builders. Our compensation program delivers above-market total compensation through a combination of base salary, performance-based bonus/variable pay, and equity (for eligible roles) in a high-growth public company. We meaningfully differentiate pay for our top performers, who have the opportunity to earn above-market compensation that can outpace the broader market over time.
Beyond compensation, we provide the foundations that enable long-term success: a flexible, employee-led remote model, a professional development stipend, comprehensive health and parental leave plans, and more. If you’re ready to build for the long term and own the outcome, your journey starts here.
Flexible Working
At Samsara, we embrace a flexible working model that caters to the diverse needs of our teams. Our offices are open for those who prefer to work in-person and we also support remote work where it aligns with our operational requirements. For certain pos