Embedded Systems Engineer

ABOUT ARAGO

The demand for more intelligence continues to accelerate in every industry, application, and device. Yet, general-purpose processors, cannot take us much farther. To unlock the next breakthroughs, Arago is developing a processor that harnesses the unique physical properties of light to address both memory and computational limitations.

We are a team of AI engineers and physicists who believe in great science and fast achievements. We’re looking for bold jack-of-all-trades who love to ship products quickly.

Our team is driven by these core values:

1. Do great things : We’re going after a 10x, not 10%. It requires intensity, craftsmanship and great science

2. We move as one : Our relationships are built on trust and mutual admiration. We feel empowered and fortunate to collaborate with one another.

3. Keep looking ahead : Lasting technologies and impactful ventures are not built overnight. We take it one step at a time, with velocity.

OVERALL MISSION

Serve as a key interface in the co-design of Arago’s AI accelerator, working closely with the SW and HW team members to drive both hardware and software perfromance.

DESIRED SKILL SET

• Strong combination of applied mathematical rigor and a practical, end-to-end understanding of computing systems, including instruction set architectures, memory hierarchies, interfacing protocols, and both synchronous and asynchronous execution.

• Proficient in various communication and data transfer protocols (SPI, I2C, UART, PCIe) for inter-component communication within cards, SoCs, and between devices and host processors.

• Strong coding experience and skills in Python and C/C++

• Extensive experience with embedded systems and devices such as MCUs (ESP32, STM32) and FPGAs (Xilinx, Intel Altera), focusing on efficient hardware resource utilization, custom firmware development, and debugging component interfaces.

• Proficient in developing hardware drivers for custom devices, with a strong understanding of RTOS and kernel development.

• Extensive experience in PCB design (including layout and debugging) is a highly-valued plus.

MISSIONS & RESPONSABILITIES

• Contribute to hardware development efforts at the core of Arago by integrating early iterations of the Optical Processing Unit (OPU) with microcontrollers and FPGAs, including firmware development for off-the-shelf embedded electronics.

• Work closely with the FPGA and software teams to optimize firmware on the successive prototype iterations, implementing a RTOS to handle requests and kernel launches and improving reliability and latency of data transfer protocols.

• Develop, maintain, and update hardware drivers while collaborating with the software team to ensure the prototype functions as a backend computation engine for 1) bare-metal execution of linear algebra operations and 2) compiled machine learning pipelines.

• Design PCBs to interface Arago's OPU with memory banks, environment sensors, data transfer chips and ports and MCU co-processors. Design and layout reliable power management and delivery units for these boards.

REWARDS & PERKS

• Competitive cash compensation that reflects your expertise and experience.

• Stock options.

• Ownership of a key technical area.

• Being part of the very early days of one of the hottest AI startups (still in stealth mode).

• A fun, dynamic, and multicultural team in a collaborative work environment.

• Exciting growth opportunities.

SELECTION PROCESS

1. CV and technical project reviews.

2. 45-minute call with the CEO.

3. Take-home technical assignment.

4. 1-hour technical call with the CTO, CSO, CEO and potential other team members.