Firmware Engineer

Job Description

Role: Firmware / Robotics Engineer
Salary: $140,000 - $160,000 + healthcare + benefots package
Location: Boston, MA (Onsite 3 days per week)

Our client is developing autonomous robotic systems used within the construction and marine sectors. Operating at the intersection of robotics, autonomy, and infrastructure inspection, they are seeking an experienced Firmware / Robotics Engineer to take ownership of a complex production codebase spanning multiple embedded systems and hardware platforms.

The Opportunity

The successful candidate will become the primary firmware engineer within a highly technical team, responsible for the development, maintenance, and evolution of the embedded software that powers the company's robotic platform.

The firmware is responsible for coordinating motor control, adhesion systems, inertial sensing, and real-time locomotion while interfacing with a companion compute platform running higher-level autonomy software.
This role offers the opportunity to work on challenging engineering problems involving real-time control systems, custom communication protocols, hardware-software integration, and safety-critical behaviors in demanding field environments.
Key Responsibilities
Own and develop the real-time firmware architecture across multiple microcontroller targets.
Manage motor coordination, EPM control and sensing, power management, and system-level behavior.
Develop and improve communication between embedded controllers and higher-level autonomy systems.
Address existing challenges related to logging, fault handling, timing constraints, and motion execution.
Drive firmware development for future generations of the robotic platform as customer deployments scale.
Contribute to architectural decisions that shape the long-term evolution of the system.

Required Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, or a related technical discipline.
6+ years of relevant experience in embedded software, firmware, robotics, or related fields.
Strong expertise in C/C++ development for embedded systems.
Experience working with real-time systems and hardware/software integration.

Successful candidates are likely to demonstrate:
Strong understanding of interrupt safety, DMA behavior, timing constraints, and CAN bus performance.
Experience shipping hardware products from development through deployment.
The ability to quickly understand and contribute to existing firmware codebases.
A practical, iterative engineering mindset focused on testing and validating solutions.
Strong collaboration and troubleshooting skills.
A proactive approach to identifying root causes rather than treating symptoms.

Technical Environment
Languages
C/C++
Python
Hardware & Embedded Platforms
ARM Cortex microcontrollers
RTOS-based primary controller
Bare-metal supporting controllers
Protocols & Communication
CAN-based motor control
Custom CAN-FD messaging protocol
Protobuf serialization
Development Tools
CMake
Docker-based development environment
CAN bus analysis tools
STM debuggers
Logic analyzers
Oscilloscopes

Experience in robotics is advantageous but not essential. Candidates from medical devices, automotive systems, industrial automation, motion control, actuator systems, or other embedded environments are encouraged to apply. The client is particularly interested in engineers who have developed reliable firmware for systems where performance, safety, and robustness are critical.

Please send across a resume if you wish to apply.