Application Guide
How to Apply for Embedded Software Lead
at Glydways
🏢 About Glydways
Glydways is building a carbon-neutral, on-demand autonomous transit network using standardized vehicles on dedicated roadways—a bold alternative to traditional public transit that avoids heavy infrastructure costs and subsidies. Working here means tackling hard, safety-critical embedded systems while directly contributing to a mission that expands access to jobs, education, and healthcare. The company's net-negative GHG goal and 24/7 operation create a unique blend of environmental impact and deep-tech engineering challenges.
About This Role
As Embedded Software Lead, you'll own the firmware that turns raw hardware—sensor kits, custom boards, and main compute—into a reliable, safety-critical vehicle. You'll lead a team that collaborates across subsystems, from low-level drivers to real-time control, ensuring the autonomous vehicle operates flawlessly. This role is pivotal because the embedded stack is the foundation of Glydways' promise: safe, efficient, and scalable autonomous mobility.
💡 A Day in the Life
You might start with a stand-up to align your team on firmware priorities, then dive into a code review or debug a sensor integration issue on a new board. Later, you'd collaborate with hardware engineers on a bring-up test, and in the afternoon, you'd plan the next sprint or interview a candidate. Expect a mix of hands-on technical work, mentoring, and cross-team coordination to keep the vehicle's software reliable and safe.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Glydways Is Looking For
- Proven experience leading embedded software teams in safety-critical domains (automotive, aerospace, robotics, or medical), with a track record of shipping production firmware.
- Deep expertise in C/C++ for embedded systems, real-time operating systems (RTOS), and hardware-software co-design—comfortable debugging at the board level with oscilloscopes and logic analyzers.
- Familiarity with functional safety standards (ISO 26262, IEC 61508, or similar) and experience implementing rigorous testing, validation, and verification processes.
- Strong cross-functional collaborator who can interface with hardware, systems, and autonomy teams, and who thrives in a fast-paced, hardware-in-the-loop environment.
📝 Tips for Applying to Glydways
Highlight specific safety-critical projects where you led embedded software from concept to production—quantify team size, scope, and safety certifications achieved.
Emphasize hands-on hardware experience: mention custom boards, sensor integration, and debugging tools you've used, since Glydways values engineers who get close to the metal.
Show familiarity with autonomous vehicle or transit systems—even if not direct, connect your embedded work to real-time decision-making or sensor fusion.
Demonstrate leadership beyond task management: describe how you've mentored engineers, set technical direction, and driven cross-team collaboration in previous roles.
Tailor your resume to include keywords from the job description like 'firmware,' 'safety-critical,' 'RTOS,' 'sensor kits,' and 'custom boards' to pass ATS and show alignment.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Your experience leading embedded teams in safety-critical environments, with concrete examples of shipping reliable firmware under strict constraints.', "Why Glydways' mission—affordable, eco-friendly autonomous transit—resonates with you personally, and how you see embedded software enabling that vision.", "A specific technical challenge you've solved that mirrors Glydways' needs (e.g., integrating sensors on custom hardware, achieving real-time performance, or meeting safety standards).", "Your approach to collaboration: how you've worked with hardware and systems engineers to bring up new boards and ensure seamless subsystem integration."]
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Study Glydways' system architecture: how their dedicated roadways, standardized vehicles, and on-demand model work together—understand the embedded software's role in that ecosystem.
- → Look into their funding, partnerships, and pilot projects to understand company stage and technical priorities; check recent news for milestones or challenges.
- → Research the founders and leadership team, especially their backgrounds in transit, autonomy, and hardware, to align your answers with their vision.
- → Explore the competitive landscape of autonomous transit (e.g., others in the space) to articulate what makes Glydways' approach unique and how you can contribute.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Focusing only on high-level software architecture without demonstrating hands-on embedded debugging and hardware interaction—Glydways needs leaders who can still dive into the code and hardware.
- Neglecting to mention safety standards or processes; for a safety-critical vehicle, ignoring functional safety in your application signals a lack of fit.
- Applying with a generic cover letter that doesn't reference Glydways' mission or specific technical challenges—showing you understand their unique context is crucial.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!