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Founding Embedded (Firmware & EE) Engineer

Thalassa Robotics
San Francisco, CA Full Time
POSTED ON 3/17/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 9/12/2026

About Thalassa Robotics:

Thalassa Robotics is a venture-backed startup building the Starlink of the Sea, a mesh network of AUVs coordinated through wireless optical communication. $500B in essential subsea infrastructure is inspected by a decaying fleet of specialized vessels that each cost $100K per day. Thalassa’s platform enables visibility & adaptability during subsea missions, delivering live data streams to remote operators for an order of magnitude cheaper than existing ship-centric solutions. We aim to be the ubiquitous real-time communications layer to support the present and future of maritime missions. Our first product offering is a line-of-sight, wireless optical communications terminal that we are integrating with marine robotics companies for late 2026 global pilots.


Role Overview:

We are seeking a founding engineer experienced with embedded systems to join our early-stage team. In this role, you will wear many hats and be truly full-stack across embedded firmware (e.g. RTOS, C ) and electronics (e.g. PCB design). This will be a dynamic seat, and candidates should be comfortable operating with a high level of autonomy & flexibility. 


Required Qualifications:

  • 2 years of experience with embedded systems and firmware
  • History of tinkering & side projects spanning firmware, embedded systems, and electronics
  • Proficiency with embedded software, including C/C for microcontrollers, RTOS, low speed digital protocols like I2C, SPI, and UART, and firmware for robotics
  • Significant experience with PCB design from ground up, including component selection
  • Strong background in electronics, including power topologies
  • Proficiency with system-level architecture and design
  • Passion for marine robotics 


We are a small, focused team looking for mission-driven candidates who are passionate about their work. If you are excited to advance the frontiers of subsea technology, explore uncharted depths, and protect our oceans and the assets within them, we would love to hear from you!


Check out more about our vision & team here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJSu-hUckFM


This will be a fully in-person role in the Bay Area; we can assist with relocation efforts for candidates from other geographies.

Salary : $100,000

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