Embedded Firmware & FPGA Engineer (Onsite)

CFD Research Corporation; Columbus (OH); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) matching

ESOP

Medical, vision, dental

Paid leave

Job summary

CFD Research Corporation seeks a capable Firmware Engineer to develop robust embedded systems for aerospace and defense. You will work with Embedded Hardware Design Engineers to build firmware and FPGA logic, ensure reliable interfaces, and support rigorous qualification standards.

The role emphasizes hands-on design, fast-paced R&D, and collaboration across multidisciplinary teams, with onsite locations in Dayton or Huntsville and a path toward mission-critical hardware/software co-design.

Qualifications

• BS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Firmware Engineering, or related discipline.
• Strong proficiency in embedded firmware development in C/C++ for microcontrollers and embedded processors.
• Experience with RTOS based development, bare metal systems, interrupt handling, timing critical code, and power managed firmware.
• Understanding of digital interfaces, communication protocols, and embedded system architectures.
• Experience with lab equipment including oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, protocol analyzers, multimeters, and power supplies.
• Familiarity with software configuration management, version control (Git), and structured engineering workflows.
• Ability to read schematics and understand hardware-software interactions at the board level.
• Candidate must be a U.S. Citizen and possess the ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and test embedded firmware in C/C++, including drivers, HAL layers, communication stacks, control loops, and board bring up.
• Develop FPGA logic (VHDL or Verilog) for DSP, interfaces, or high-speed control functions.
• Collaborate with Embedded Hardware Design Engineers to define system architecture and validate interfaces.
• Implement and support communication protocols such as SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, RS-485, USB, Ethernet, Modbus.
• Participate in schematic reviews and provide firmware input to PCB layout for signal routing and EMI/ESD mitigation.
• Support system-level testing, debugging, and validation using lab equipment.
• Develop test firmware, scripts, and automated test frameworks for prototype evaluation.
• Create technical documentation and architecture descriptions per AS9100 standards.
• Support compliance with AS9100, MIL-STD-461, MIL-STD-810, DO-704.
• Collaborate with cross functional teams and contribute to full lifecycle hardware/firmware co-design.

Skills

Embedded C/C++

RTOS development

Digital interfaces

Hardware-software co-design

Schematic reading

Git version control

Security clearance

Education

BS in Electrical Engineering

MS or PhD (preferred)

Tools

JTAG

Oscilloscopes

Logic analyzers

Protocol analyzers

Job description

CFD Research Corporation seeks a capable Firmware Engineer to develop robust embedded systems for aerospace and defense. You will work with Embedded Hardware Design Engineers to build firmware and FPGA logic, ensure reliable interfaces, and support rigorous qualification standards.

The role emphasizes hands-on design, fast-paced R&D, and collaboration across multidisciplinary teams, with onsite locations in Dayton or Huntsville and a path toward mission-critical hardware/software co-design.