Firmware Engineer - Research & Development (Mid Level)

Job Summary:

We are looking for a Mid-Level Firmware Engineer with 2–5 years of experience to design, develop, and maintain embedded firmware for our products. You will own firmware from architecture through production deployment, working closely with electronics and mechanical teams to deliver reliable, efficient, and maintainable embedded software.

Key Responsibilities:

Design & Development:

• Design and develop embedded firmware for microcontroller-based products in C/C++ (or relevant embedded language)
• Architect firmware structure including drivers, middleware, and application layers for maintainability and scalability
• Implement and debug communication protocols (I2C, SPI, UART, USB, CAN, Bluetooth/BLE, Wi-Fi) between MCU and peripherals/sensors
• Develop low-level drivers for new hardware peripherals in coordination with the electronics team
• Implement power-optimized firmware (sleep modes, wake sources, power state management) for battery-powered products
• Integrate and configure RTOS (FreeRTOS, Zephyr, or similar) where required for task scheduling and resource management
• Implement bootloader and firmware update (OTA/DFU) mechanisms

Prototyping & Validation:

• Bring up firmware on new hardware prototypes; debug using JTAG/SWD, logic analyzers, and serial debug tools
• Write unit tests and conduct code reviews to maintain firmware quality and reliability
• Plan and execute functional testing, stress testing, and long-duration reliability testing on firmware
• Analyze field/test failures, perform root-cause analysis, and iterate on firmware fixes
• Support EMI/EMC and regulatory compliance testing from a firmware behavior standpoint

Cross-Functional Integration:

• Collaborate closely with the electronics team during hardware bring-up, providing feedback on testability (test points, debug headers) and hardware design for firmware needs
• Work with mechanical team where firmware interacts with physical interfaces (buttons, displays, connectors, sensors)
• Coordinate with cloud/app/software teams (if applicable) for device connectivity, data protocols, and API integration
• Support QA teams by clarifying expected firmware behavior and reproducing reported issues

Production Support & Documentation:

• Prepare and maintain firmware documentation: architecture diagrams, API references, flash/programming procedures, and release notes
• Manage firmware version control, release branching, and change tracking (Git or equivalent)
• Support production programming/flashing procedures and troubleshoot firmware-related issues on the line
• Contribute to firmware optimization for cost, performance, and power post-launch

Required Skills & Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Electronics, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field
• 2–5 years of hands-on experience in embedded firmware development, preferably in consumer electronics, IoT, or embedded hardware products
• Strong proficiency in C/C++ for embedded/bare-metal or RTOS-based systems
• Solid understanding of microcontroller architectures (ARM Cortex-M, ESP32, STM32, or similar) and peripherals (ADC, PWM, timers, GPIO)
• Experience with common communication protocols (I2C, SPI, UART, USB) and wireless protocols (BLE, Wi-Fi) as relevant to the product
• Hands-on experience debugging firmware using JTAG/SWD, oscilloscopes, and logic analyzers
• Familiarity with RTOS concepts (task scheduling, semaphores, queues, interrupts)
• Experience with version control systems (Git) and collaborative development workflows
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with meticulous attention to detail
• Effective communicator, comfortable working cross-functionally with electronics, mechanical, and software teams

Preferred/Bonus Skills:

• Experience implementing OTA/DFU firmware update mechanisms
• Experience with low-power design techniques for battery-operated devices
• Familiarity with security practices in embedded systems (secure boot, encrypted communication, flash protection)
• Exposure to cloud connectivity protocols (MQTT, HTTP/HTTPS, CoAP)
• Experience with automated testing frameworks or CI/CD pipelines for embedded firmware
• Track record of taking at least one product's firmware through full mass production

What We Offer:

• Opportunity to own end-to-end firmware development for real, shipping products
• Close collaboration with a multidisciplinary hardware team