Senior Embedded Software Engineer - Concepts Group

Senior Embedded Software Engineer - Concepts Group

Proper Voltage Carlsbad, California, United States Information Technology

Please note that we are unable to provide visa sponsorship for this position.

Proper Voltage is unlocking the next generation of battery technology across robotics, data centers, and defense.

We are building intelligent battery systems that make advanced chemistries (sodium‑ion, lithium‑titanate, lithium‑silicon) work in products that were never designed for them. Humanoid robots can upgrade power systems without redesigning their entire platform. Data centers get safer, cheaper backup power. Drones and autonomous vehicles get higher energy density without lengthy integration cycles.

This role is part of our Concepts Group—a fast‑paced, small team responsible for taking product concepts from leadership and rapidly building minimum viable implementations to determine feasibility and inform go/no‑go decisions for full product development. It is not a traditional firmware role. You will tackle a new problem every few weeks to months, standing up just enough firmware to prove whether an idea works: adding a new cell chemistry to a BMS, prototyping a novel protection scheme, spinning up a communication stack on unfamiliar hardware, or validating a control algorithm on a bench rig.

The emphasis is on speed, resourcefulness, and sound engineering judgment.

The ideal candidate thrives on variety, can go from a blank STM
32 project to a working proof‑of‑concept faster than most engineers think is possible, and has enough depth in BMS and power electronics firmware to know which shortcuts are safe and which will mislead results. You will work closely with engineering leadership to scope concepts, define success criteria, and deliver clear recommendations on whether a path forward exists.

• Receive product concepts and technical challenges from engineering management and rapidly translate them into scoped, time‑boxed firmware prototyping efforts.
• Build minimum‑viable firmware implementations on STM
  32 platforms (Cortex‑M33/M4) to validate feasibility of new BMS architectures, cell chemistries, protection strategies, and communication topologies.
• Stand up functional firmware quickly on new or unfamiliar hardware—bring up peripherals, verify signal chains, and get to meaningful data collection in days, not weeks.
• Prototype and evaluate fuel‑gauging approaches (Kalman filters, coulomb counting, hybrid methods) across different battery chemistries to assess viability before committing to production implementation.
• Rapidly implement and test cell‑balancing strategies, protection algorithms, and fault‑detection logic to evaluate trade‑offs in accuracy, complexity, and cost.
• Develop quick‑turn communication interfaces (CAN, UART, SPI, I2C, Ethernet) to integrate prototype BMS modules with existing systems or test rigs.
• Interface with analog front ends, isolated amplifiers, current‑sense circuits, and DAQ hardware to validate measurement architectures on prototype builds.
• Produce concise, actionable technical assessments—documenting what works, what doesn’t, key risks, and a recommended path forward for the product development team.
• Collaborate with hardware engineers to quickly evaluate new component choices, alternate topologies, and cost‑reduction opportunities at the firmware level.
• Build throwaway tooling, test scripts, and data‑logging utilities as needed to support rapid evaluation cycles.
• Maintain a library of reusable firmware building blocks (drivers, protocol stacks, algorithms) that accelerate future concept evaluations.
• Exercise a high degree of autonomy, take ownership, and contribute as a key individual to project milestones and objectives.
• Work in person at our Carlsbad, CA office or travel as needed with a demonstrated track record of highly efficient, collaborative remote work.

• B.S., M.S., or Ph.D. in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field.
• 6+ years of experience developing embedded firmware, with a demonstrated ability to move fast and deliver working prototypes under tight…