Firmware Intern - Spring 2027

Summary: Etched is building the world’s first AI inference system purpose-built for transformers. In this firmware role, you will help develop firmware for custom ASICs designed to run large transformer models efficiently, collaborating with hardware, architecture, and software teams to ensure peak performance and reliability. Responsibilities: - Help develop firmware for custom ASICs designed to run large transformer models efficiently - Work across the stack—from low-level drivers, hardware interfaces, and system initialization code to integration with runtime libraries and model-execution frameworks - Focus on making the hardware operate reliably and at peak performance, enabling high-throughput inference and training workloads - Collaborate with hardware, architecture, and software teams to bring up new silicon, validate features, and support real-world AI applications Required Qualifications: - Progress towards a Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related technical field - Proficiency in C/C++ or Rust - Strong fundamentals in data structures and algorithms - Strong understanding of low-level software engineering - Strong understanding of hardware/software co-design - Excellent communication and collaboration skills Preferred Qualifications: - Experience with Linux internals, kernel development, or driver debugging - Experience with hardware diagnostics or interpreting hardware logs - Exposure to server virtualization or CI/CD pipelines - Experience with Rust or embedded development Required Skills: C, C++, Rust, Data Structures, Algorithms, Low-level Software Engineering, Hardware/Software Co-design Internship Start Date: Start in 2027 Spring Benefits: 12-week paid internship (June - August 2026), Generous housing support for those relocating, Daily lunch and dinner in our office, Direct mentorship from industry leaders and world-class engineers, Based at our office in San Jose, CA