Senior Firmware Engineer

Only local candidates! No 3rd party agencies! Direct W2 contractors only! No Visa Sponsorship available! Onsite contract enior Firmware Engineer | Tucson Agile Release Team 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.

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System Demos:

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

Skills required:

• 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.

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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.

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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.