Lead Embedded Software Engineer

About This Role

We're looking for a Lead Embedded Software Engineer to design and develop firmware for the safety-critical electromechanical systems in service of our mission, and to lead the growing team that builds it. The role is hands-on and covers the whole embedded stack. You'll bring up new boards, write drivers, design portable hardware abstraction layers and build the hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) infrastructure that tests every change on real hardware. You'll set the technical direction and architecture for our embedded software and make system-level decisions that shape how other teams design and build.

Because these systems are safety-critical, you'll think carefully about how they can fail, and you'll make sure your team does too. Much of your time will go to writing code and solving challenging engineering problems, with a heavy emphasis on efficiency and safety. You'll work closely with electrical and controls engineers: reviewing boards, turning control requirements into firmware architecture and debugging on the bench. You'll also mentor engineers and set the bar for how the team designs, reviews and tests firmware.

Responsibilities

• Develop bare-metal, safety-critical software in modern C++ that is readable, testable and efficient.
• Bring up new boards and debug board-level issues with oscilloscopes, logic analyzers and other lab equipment.
• Write drivers for a range of ICs over UART, SPI and I2C.
• Write and maintain wired communication stacks, e.g. CANopen, TCP, UDP
• Design HAL interfaces that let applications move between platforms.
• Use MCU peripherals to enforce safety at the hardware level and make applications more efficient.
• Analyze how electromechanical systems and your software can fail together and work to mitigate the effects.
• Build HIL CI infrastructure that tests software changes on real hardware.
• Work cross functionally with engineers across multiple disciplines (electrical, mechanical, software)
• Present firmware designs to stakeholders to keep all engineering disciplines aligned.
• Participate in code reviews, design reviews, and failure mode analysis reviews
• Provide technical and architectural leadership based on first principles thinking

Basic Qualifications

• B.S. in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering or a related field
• 7+ years of professional software development experience with a majority in an embedded domain
• 1+ years of experience leading a team
• Strong production experience in modern C++ or Rust
• Hands-on experience integrating hardware and software and developing device drivers
• Comfortable reading schematics and datasheets and debugging on the bench

Preferred Skills and Experience

• Experience implementing wired communication stacks such as CANopen, TCP, and UDP
• Experience designing bootloaders and firmware update mechanisms
• Experience leading bring-up of new boards
• Experience writing firmware for closed-loop control systems
• Experience building simulation and HIL test environments
• Experience with digital signal processing
• Experience shipping safety-critical embedded software
• Demonstrated technical leadership in setting engineering standards and in building and mentoring high-performing engineering teams
• Experience in a fast-paced, startup-like engineering environment that calls for a resourceful, entrepreneurial approach to delivering within tight timelines or budgets

Additional Requirements

• Ability to work extended hours and weekends as necessary
• Ability to come into our office every day. This role is 100% onsite and in-person.
• Currently a US Citizen with capability to obtain and maintain a US DOE-Q clearance

Compensation and Benefits

The base salary range for this role is $165,000 to $280,000 annually.

Compensation bands are determined by role, level, location, and alignment with market data. Individual level and base pay is determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on job-related skills, education, experience, technical capabilities and internal equity. Please note that the stated salary range is an estimate and may be adjusted based on market conditions, business needs, or other factors.

In addition to base salary, for full-time hires, you may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of stock options, and access to medical, vision & dental coverage as well as access to a 401(k) retirement plan.