Senior Firmware Engineer, Autonomous Systems

Sphere Defense; Brussel Hoofdstad; On-site; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Stock Options Plan

Mobility Budget

32 days of holidays

Meal vouchers

Private Health insurance

Year-end bonus

Job summary

Sphere Defense, a Brussels-based tech startup, seeks a Senior Firmware Engineer to develop autonomous countermeasures for aerial threats. You will own firmware for MCUs/MPUs, bare-metal and RTOS, delivering low-latency sensing, processing and actuation in collaboration with hardware and software teams.

You will design, implement and test robust firmware, create CI/CD pipelines, and mentor teammates while aligning with the CTO on product goals.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics or equivalent
• At least 8 years in relevant roles, with increasing levels of ownership
• Demonstrated experience in the role, owning complex systems based on MCUs and MPUs running bare-metal and RTOS
• Proficiency in C/C++ and Python
• Experience with device drivers development and board bring-up, including BSP creation
• Experience with lab equipment for board bring-up and debug
• Experience with SIL/HIL CI/CD processes
• Experience integrating sensors and peripherals such as IMUs, Hall sensors, network devices, etc.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills in written and spoken English; French or Dutch is a plus
• You are a self-starter, able to work in a high-ambiguity environment and willing to take up new challenges

Responsibilities

• Be one of the first members of a high-performing team, designing and developing autonomous countermeasures to protect allied countries from aerial threats
• Architect, develop and test high-performant and reliable firmware systems that encompass sensing, processing and actuation with low latency
• Together with the hardware team, bring-up boards and systems, ensuring that all intended functional and performance requirements are met
• Troubleshoot and debug problems, ensuring that issues are addressed as they appear
• Establish sophisticated CI/CD pipelines, focusing on QA aspects
• Be a team player and a mentor, being available to support the team when needed

Job description

Who We Are

Sphere Defense is a fully funded technology startup with the mission of providing allied countries with sovereign, effective and seamless autonomous countermeasures to neutralize todays’ and tomorrow’s aerial threats.

Sphere Defense was founded by industry veterans with previous successful exits, and is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, in the heart of Europe.

About You

You are an experienced and highly-motivated Senior Firmware Engineer that has extensive experience with MCUs running bare-metal and RTOSs, and is experienced with building highly reliable embedded, mission‑critical systems. Ideally, you have worked with autonomous systems.

What You’ll Do

• Be one of the first members of a high-performing team, designing and developing autonomous countermeasures to protect allied countries from aerial threats
• Architect, develop and test high-performant and reliable firmware systems that encompass sensing, processing and actuation with low latency
• Together with the hardware team, bring-up boards and systems, ensuring that all intended functional and performance requirements are met
• Troubleshoot and debug problems, ensuring that issues are addressed as they appear
• Establish sophisticated CI/CD pipelines, focusing on QA aspects
• Be a team player and a mentor, being available to support the team when needed

Location

Onsite in Brussels, Belgium. Our office is close to Central Station.

Reports to

Chief Technology Officer

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics or equivalent
• At least 8 years in relevant roles, with increasing levels of ownership
• Demonstrated experience in the role, owning complex systems based on MCUs and MPUs running bare-metal and RTOS
• Proficiency in C/C++ and Python
• Experience with bare-metal and RTOS firmware systems
• Deep experience with System Design of complex and reliable autonomous systems
• Ability to produce high-quality technical documentation
• Experience with Device Drivers development and Board Bringup, including BSP creation
• Experience with lab equipment (oscilloscope, multimeter, etc.) for board bring‑up and debug
• Experience with implementing and maintaining complex. multi-stage, SIL/HIL CI/CD processes
• Experience integrating sensors and peripherals such as IMUs, Hall sensors, network devices, etc.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills in written and spoken English; French or Dutch is a plus
• You are a self-starter, able to work in a high-ambiguity environment and willing to take up new challenges

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Linux and Yocto‑based embedded systems
• Experience with the PX4 Flight Controller or other flight controllers
• Proficient in Rust
• Experience with ST and NXP chipsets
• Experience with server communication (REST, gRPC, etc.)
• Experience with Mobile Apps integration (BLE, WiFi)

What we offer

• Attractive compensation
• Year-end bonus
• Stock Options Plan
• Mobility Budget
• 32 days of holidays
• Meal vouchers
• Private Health insurance

We are building a core team of hard‑working people. If you want to join a company with tremendous impact and you are autonomous, creative and driven, we want to hear from you!

Sphere Defense offers attractive compensation, stock options, and a unique opportunity to change the global defense landscape.

This role is only open to candidates with right to work in Belgium. We cannot provide visa sponsorship at this time.