Senior Firmware Engineer at Tucson, AZ (Onsite)

Description:

We are looking for a Senior Firmware Engineer to join our team in Tucson. In this role, you will use your expertise in C/C++ to design and build robust embedded solutions that sit at the intersection of hardware and software. You'll be a critical part of a cross-functional team, taking features from low-level drivers to final system integration, ensuring our code is performant, memory-efficient, and rock-solid.

Key Responsibilities:

Embedded Design:

Architect and implement firmware features using C/C++, ensuring designs are optimized for constrained environments (CPU, memory, and power).

Hardware-Software Integration:

Develop low-level drivers and middleware to interface with sensors, actuators, and communication peripherals.

Automated Hardware Validation:

Build and maintain automated testing frameworks-primarily using Python-for Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing and system validation.

Agile Execution:

During PI and iteration planning, break down complex hardware-software features into manageable tasks, accounting for hardware dependencies and lead times.

Technical Governance:

Lead deep-dive code reviews and technical spikes to ensure firmware aligns with safety standards and system-level architecture.

Agile Planning & Collaboration:

Synchronized Development:

Participate in technical discussions during Program Increment (PI) planning, specifically addressing hardware/firmware dependencies.

Backlog Refinement:

Organize and prioritize the team backlog, managing technical debt and balancing feature velocity with system stability.

Cross-Functional Bridge:

Work closely with Electrical and Mechanical Engineering teams to translate hardware requirements into technical firmware reality.

System Demos:

Demonstrate firmware progress on target hardware to stakeholders, explaining technical logic and timing constraints clearly.

Required Technical Skills:

C/C++

Mastery:

Extensive professional experience in embedded C/C++ development for microcontrollers (ARM Cortex-M, ESP32, etc.) or RTOS-based systems.

System Architecture:

Ability to design maintainable, scalable firmware architectures including interrupt handling, memory management, and state machines.

Low-Level Protocols:

Hands-on experience with communication interfaces like I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, or USB.

Debugging:

Proficiency using

JTAG/SWD

debuggers, logic analyzers, and oscilloscopes to troubleshoot hardware-software interactions.

Preferred Experience:

Python for

Tools:

Experience using Python for scripting, data analysis, or building test harnesses.

RTOS & Bare Metal:

Familiarity with FreeRTOS, Zephyr, or similar real-time operating systems.

Agile Proficiency:

Experience working within the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) or similar iterative environments for hardware development.

Mentorship:

A track record of leading firmware projects or guiding junior engineers through complex system integrations.

Soft Skills:

Technical Articulation:

The ability to explain complex timing issues or register-level bugs to non-technical stakeholders.

Relentless Troubleshooting:

A methodical, "detective-like" approach to solving intermittent hardware/software issues.

Reliability Mindset:

A commitment to writing code where "it works on my machine" isn't enough-it has to work on the silicon every single time.