Firmware Engineer

As a Staff Firmware Engineer on the Safer Robotics Team, you will join a cross-functional group developing robotic technologies that enable our robots to operate safely around people and in the environment using sensors on dedicated computing platforms. In this role you will build high‑integrity safety critical firmware that unlocks the ability for human‑robot collaboration. You will have the opportunity to take end‑to‑end ownership of new MCU‑based systems and designs that become part of our future products.

While the primary focus is firmware development on MCUs, there are also opportunities to work on the MPU side, including kernel drivers, services, and other system‑level software. If you are creative, thrive in a small team environment, and are passionate about a world where humans and robots truly work together, come join us.

• Design, develop, and validate safety‑critical firmware that helps ensure our robots can operate safely in the presence of people. This spans the various actuator control systems as well as the safety computing platforms.
• Drive board bring‑up, integration, hardening, and commonization of new MCU‑based systems across multiple product lines.
• Work at the boundaries of hardware and firmware to unite many components of a robot into a single functioning, performant, and fault‑tolerant system.
• Develop, maintain, and implement best practices to ensure high integrity, traceability, and compliance with safety standards.
• Help build the architecture and supporting infrastructure to allow for reliability and determinism at scale.
• Be part of a team bringing cutting‑edge technology to improve the safety of robotics in real‑world applications.

• 5+ years of experience in C/C++ at the MCU level and higher in the stack in larger embedded systems.
• Passion for writing and delivering safety‑critical firmware, e.g., for autonomous vehicles, driver‑assist systems, motor control, robotics, or medical devices.
• Experience developing software for time‑sensitive control systems, including working with RTOS and various time‑sensitive network topologies.
• Experience working with embedded MCUs (e.g., STM
  32, TI, or safety‑certified MCU families) to implement safety functions that cross the boundaries of hardware and software.
• Hands‑on proficiency with low‑level communication protocols and peripherals such as Ethernet, SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, DMA, PWM, ADC, and Flash.
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to author technical documentation, RFCs, and design/architecture reviews on technical topics.
• History of working in small, tight‑knit, fast‑moving, interdisciplinary teams.

• Experience writing and delivering safety‑critical firmware for autonomous vehicles, driver‑assist systems, robotics, or medical devices.
• Experience working within a standardized functional safety process (e.g., IEC 61508, IEC 62304, ISO 26262, EN 50128) or equivalent system safety standards (e.g., MIL‑STD‑882, DO‑178C).
• Proficiency with hardware debugging and test equipment including logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, bench power supplies, and JTAG/SWD debuggers.
• Experience with system profiling and network analysis tools such as Wireshark, tcpdump, and Nmap.
• Experience with system bring‑up, refactoring, and integration of component‑level firmware across multiple MCU platforms and products.
• Familiarity with MPU‑level development including Linux kernel drivers, device tree, and system services.

The base pay range for this position is between $134,399 and $167,998 annually. Base pay will depend on multiple individualized factors including, but not limited to, internal equity, job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience. This range represents a good‑faith estimate of compensation at the time of posting.

Boston Dynamics offers a generous benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 401(k), paid time off, and an annual bonus structure. Additional details regarding these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer for employment.

We are growing rapidly, building a commercial company that delivers cutting‑edge technology and solutions to our customers from industrial applications to logistics and warehouse solutions.