Firmware Engineer
Location: Cambridge, MA (onsite, with field deployment opportunities)
Compensation: Targeting around $150,000, with flexibility for the right person.
Are you excited by the challenge of building embedded systems that operate in one of Earth's most extreme and least understood environments? This organization is developing next-generation autonomous underwater robotics that advance weather prediction, aquaculture, shipping, national security, and ocean science. Their vehicles are deployed and operating around the world today, from the Caribbean to open ocean. They're seeking a Firmware Engineer to help push the boundaries of ocean intelligence.
The Opportunity
Take ownership of embedded firmware for mission-critical robotic systems built on STM32 platforms. You'll drive architecture, development, and integration while working closely with electrical, mechanical, and systems engineers. From board bring-up to sea trials, you'll see your work deployed in the real world, diving into the ocean and returning with meaningful data.
Important context on the stack: this is bare-metal and RTOS firmware in C. It is not a ROS or full Linux robotics stack, and it is not a C++ application-layer role. If you are the kind of engineer who knows an STM32 family inside out, including every quirk ST has thrown at the world, this will feel like home.
What You'll Do
- Develop embedded firmware in C for autonomous ocean vehicles, covering power systems, motor control, sensors, and communication interfaces.
- Architect and evolve STM32 firmware libraries, HALs, and modular embedded codebases.
- Bring up new hardware platforms, including bootloaders, peripheral drivers, and low-level interfaces.
- Collaborate closely with hardware teams during full-system integration and lab testing.
- Build automated test frameworks and CI pipelines for robust, testable firmware.
- Support sea trials and offshore deployments, rapidly debugging and iterating in the field.
- Contribute to a disciplined, documentation-focused engineering culture as the team grows.
What You'll Bring
- Around 10 years of embedded systems experience, mid to senior level, with expertise in bare-metal and RTOS development. Somewhat under or over is fine if the domain fit is right.
- Deep, hands-on fluency with STM32 microcontrollers, including HAL/LL, CubeMX, interrupt-driven design, and peripheral bring-up.
- Firmware experience on systems that are battery powered, that communicate, and that move. This is the single hardest requirement to meet and the one that matters most. Robotics, drones, AMRs, underwater vehicles, or comparable mobile resource-constrained products.
- Strong C skills and familiarity with embedded software best practices (state machines, modular design, fixed-point math).
- Experience with JTAG/SWD debugging, logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, and profiling tools.
- Knowledge of CAN, UART, SPI, I2C, and RS-485 communication protocols.
- Strong written and technical communication. You can explain your work clearly and concisely.
- Ability to thrive in fast-paced, hardware-centric R&D environments.
- U.S. citizenship required.
Bonus Points
- Some electrical engineering bleed, enough to read a schematic and reason about the hardware you're writing for. A strong pure-firmware engineer is equally welcome.
- Experience with underwater or extreme-environment robotics.
- Familiarity with low-power system design and sleep-state management.
- Scripting experience (Python, Bash) for tooling and automation.
- Exposure to software safety standards, static analysis, or unit testing frameworks.
- Background supporting field deployments, sea trials, or remote robotic systems.
- Experience with CI tools such as GitHub Actions or Jenkins.