Embedded Firmware & Controls Engineer

SLB; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

SLB is seeking an Embedded Firmware Engineer – Motor Controls to own firmware development for high‑performance electromechanical systems. You will implement and tune motor control strategies and collaborate with the electronics team to integrate and validate the motor‑drive system.

You will drive firmware requirements, architecture, and verification, while bringing up new hardware and ensuring robust control under a range of operating conditions.

Qualifications

• Typically 10+ years of embedded firmware development.
• At least 3 years implementing and tuning motor controls on physical hardware.
• Ownership of an embedded motor-drive or electromechanical product from requirements through integration and verification.

Responsibilities

• Own firmware requirements, architecture, implementation, integration, and verification.
• Develop motor controls including field-oriented control, current/torque and speed regulation.
• Lead firmware bring-up on revised hardware and verify sensing calibration, ADC/PWM timing, and gate-control interfaces.
• Develop and integrate command and telemetry interfaces with fault recovery.
• Validate operation under low-speed, high-torque, stall, and changing-load conditions.
• Maintain version-controlled firmware, documentation, and test evidence.

Skills

Firmware development

Motor control algorithms

C/C++

RTOS

HW/SW integration

Education

Electrical/Computer/Mechatronics degree

Master’s in controls/embedded systems/power electronics

Tools

TI C2000 DSPs

MSP430

CAN/CANopen

UART

Job description

Embedded Firmware Engineer – Motor Controls

We are looking for an embedded firmware engineer with strong motor-control experience to develop software for high-performance electromechanical systems.

The engineer will own firmware development, implement and tune control strategies, and work with the electronics team to integrate and validate the motor-drive system.

Key Responsibilities

• Own firmware requirements, architecture, implementation, integration, and verification.
• Assess and adapt existing C/C++ firmware across application, motor-control, and communications processors.
• Develop application state machines, positioning and continuous-rotation functions, diagnostics, and fault recovery.
• Implement and tune motor controls, including field-oriented control, current/torque regulation, speed control, and reliable startup.
• Lead firmware bring-up on revised hardware, verifying sensing calibration, ADC/PWM timing, gate-control interfaces, and protection responses.
• Develop and integrate command and telemetry interfaces, including execution feedback and recovery from communication failures.
• Validate operating limits, regeneration handling, stopping behavior, and performance under low-speed, high-torque, stall, and changing-load conditions.
• Resolve integration issues and maintain version-controlled firmware, documentation, and test evidence in collaboration with multidisciplinary engineering teams.

Education and Required Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related discipline, or equivalent demonstrated professional experience.
• Typically 10+ years of embedded firmware development, including at least 3 years implementing and tuning motor controls on physical hardware.
• Demonstrated ownership of an embedded motor-drive or electromechanical product from requirements through integration and verification, with limited supervision.
• Strong embedded C/C++ skills on microcontrollers or DSPs, including interrupts, timers, ADCs, PWM, and real-time execution.
• Hands‑on PMSM/BLDC control experience, including loaded startup, low-speed operation, stall handling, and recovery.
• Experience with high-voltage drives, sensorless control, and regeneration management.
• Practical understanding of inverter operation, sensing, gate drivers, and protection mechanisms.
• Experience developing embedded communication protocols, including message integrity, timeouts, acknowledgements, retries, and duplicate handling.
• Ability to modify existing firmware, read schematics, use laboratory equipment, and independently diagnose firmware, controls, and hardware integration issues.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with TI C2000 DSPs, MSP430 microcontrollers, CAN/CANopen, and UART.
• Familiarity with MATLAB/Simulink, bare‑metal or RTOS systems, automated testing, and harsh‑environment product development.
• Master’s degree in controls, embedded systems, power electronics, or a related discipline.

ALL APPLICANTS FOR U.S. ROLES MUST CAREFULLY READ ALL THE SUPPLEMENTAL U.S. SPECIFIC INFORMATION LISTED BELOW.

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