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.