Firmware Engineer

We are looking for a Firmware Engineer to build the embedded software layer that powers our robotic platforms. You will work close to the hardware, developing firmware for systems that interact with motors, actuators, sensors, communication interfaces, power electronics, and higher-level robotic compute systems. This is a hands-on engineering role where you will take firmware from early hardware bring-up through integration, debugging, validation, and deployment on real robotic systems. You will work closely with teams across electronics, electrical systems, controls, mechanical engineering, and robotics software.

Responsibilities:

• Design and develop embedded firmware for autonomous robotic platforms.
• Build low-level drivers and hardware abstraction layers for sensors, actuators, communication interfaces, and peripheral devices.
• Develop firmware for microcontrollers and embedded processors, including ARM Cortex-M-based systems.
• Develop robust, production-quality firmware using Embedded C/C++.
• Interface with sensors, IMUs, encoders, motor controllers, power electronics, and other robotic subsystems.
• Develop and integrate communication protocols including CAN, CAN-FD, SPI, I2C, UART, USB, and Ethernet.
• Build reliable communication between embedded controllers and higher-level compute systems. Develop firmware for real-time and timing-critical applications.
• Work with RTOS-based systems, task scheduling, interrupts, timers, synchronisation, and inter-task communication.
• Develop diagnostic, fault-detection, logging, and recovery mechanisms.
• Optimise firmware for latency, reliability, memory utilisation, performance, and power consumption.
• Support board bring-up and validate new electronics and embedded hardware.
• Debug complex hardware-software integration issues using oscilloscopes, logic analysers, JTAG/SWD debuggers, and other lab equipment.
• Work with bootloaders, firmware upgrade mechanisms, and device-level diagnostics.
• Participate in system integration, prototype testing, environmental testing, and real-world field trials.
• Work directly with controls, electronics, mechanical, and robotics teams to diagnose system-level problems.
• Improve firmware architecture, testing, maintainability, and reliability as systems move from prototypes to field-deployable products.

Requirements:

• 3+ years of professional experience in firmware or embedded systems development.
• Strong programming skills in C, C++ and Python.
• Strong understanding of microcontrollers, processors, and embedded system architecture.
• Hands-on experience with ARM Cortex-M or similar MCU architectures.
• Good understanding of: Interrupts, Timers, DMA, ADC/DAC PWM GPIO, memory management, Watchdogs, Clock configuration.
• Strong hands-on experience with communication protocols such as CAN, SPI, I2C, and UART.
• Experience working with an RTOS, such as FreeRTOS or equivalent.
• Experience developing and debugging firmware directly on hardware.
• Ability to read schematics, hardware datasheets, interface specifications, and PCB documentation.
• Strong understanding of hardware-software interfaces.
• Hands-on experience using debugging and validation equipment such as oscilloscopes, logic analysers, multimeters, and hardware debuggers.
• Strong problem-solving and debugging skills.
• Comfortable working in an environment where firmware, electronics, controls, and mechanical systems are developed together.

Good to Have:

Experience in one or more of the following would be valuable:

• Robotics or autonomous systems
• Motor control and actuator systems
• BLDC/PMSM motors
• Motor controllers and motor drivers
• CAN / CAN-FD
• EtherCAT or real-time Ethernet
• IMUs, encoders, and other robotic sensors
• STM32, TI, NXP, Nordic, or similar MCU platforms
• Bootloaders and firmware update systems
• Embedded Linux
• Device drivers
• Functional safety or fault-tolerant embedded systems
• Battery management systems or power electronics
• Hardware bring-up and PCB debugging
• ROS / ROS 2 integration
• Python-based hardware testing or automation
• Automated firmware testing and hardware-in-the-loop testing
• Defence, aerospace, automotive, industrial automation, or other safety-critical embedded systems
• vice, we would love to hear from you.