Firmware Engineer

Firmware Engineer

We are seeking a hands-on Firmware Engineer to develop low-level embedded software and firmware for advanced aerospace and spaceflight systems. This role focuses on firmware architecture, microcontroller development, board bring-up, hardware integration, and real-time embedded applications that support mission-critical electronics. You will work close to the hardware, developing bare-metal and RTOS-based firmware for embedded processors, sensors, communication subsystems, and custom electronics.

In this highly collaborative, onsite engineering position, you will partner with electrical, FPGA, systems, and integration engineers throughout the entire product lifecycle—from concept and prototype development through spacecraft integration, test, launch, and mission operations—contributing to the development of next-generation space and defense technologies.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain embedded firmware for microcontroller- and SoC-based systems used in aerospace and spaceflight applications.
• Create low-level drivers and middleware that support sensors, actuators, communication devices, and custom hardware platforms.
• Develop firmware using C, Embedded C, and modern C++ in resource-constrained environments, ensuring efficient and reliable operation.
• Perform board bring-up activities including power validation, boot sequence development, peripheral initialization, and hardware verification on custom hardware.
• Interface directly with electrical engineering teams to debug and resolve hardware–firmware interactions and system-level issues.
• Develop and optimize firmware for real-time performance, reliability, and fault tolerance in mission-critical systems.
• Implement and support communication protocols such as SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, USB, Ethernet, and RS-422/485 for embedded platforms.
• Support processor and FPGA integration through memory-mapped interfaces, DMA engines, and high-speed communication channels.
• Develop firmware that supports environmental testing, system integration, and qualification activities for aerospace and defense environments.
• Use oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, JTAG/SWD debuggers, and protocol analyzers to troubleshoot and diagnose complex system behaviors.
• Participate in firmware architecture reviews, code reviews, and design reviews, contributing to robust technical solutions and best practices.
• Support manufacturing, integration, and test teams during system bring-up, validation, and deployment of embedded electronics.
• Contribute to requirements development, verification plans, and technical documentation for firmware and embedded systems.
• Maintain compliance with applicable quality standards, configuration management practices, and software development processes throughout the product lifecycle.

Essential Skills

• 3+ years of professional firmware development experience in embedded systems.
• Strong proficiency in Embedded C and C++ for low-level and real-time applications.
• Hands-on experience developing firmware for ARM Cortex-M, STM
  32, NXP, TI, Microchip, or similar microcontroller families.
• Experience creating low-level peripheral drivers for SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, GPIO, ADC/DAC, and Timers/PWM.
• Familiarity with hardware debugging tools including oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and JTAG/SWD debuggers.
• Ability to read and interpret schematics, datasheets, reference manuals, and interface specifications.
• Experience using Git and modern source-control practices in collaborative engineering environments.
• Knowledge of embedded software development workflows including cross-compilation, debugging, and automated builds.
• Experience supporting board-level hardware validation and bring-up activities on custom hardware.
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related technical discipline.
• Experience with RTOS-based development (e.g., FreeRTOS, Zephyr, ThreadX, or similar real-time operating systems).
• Exposure to FPGA or SoC integration concepts including AXI interfaces, memory-mapped registers, DDR memory, DMA engines, and IP cores.
• Knowledge of embedded Linux concepts, including driver-level or userspace development.
• Experience with…