Embedded Software Engineer

Green Key Resources; Philadelphia (Philadelphia County); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Green Key Resources seeks an Embedded Software Engineer II to own components of our embedded stack, working close to hardware on real-time firmware for safety devices. You will craft C/C++ firmware for RTOS and bare-metal targets, and bridge to embedded Linux environments.

You will design RTOS architectures, write drivers, and ensure deterministic timing. The role involves CI/CD, hardware bring-up, and collaboration on IEC 61508 safety standards.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of hands-on embedded software development experience.
• Strong proficiency in C, with working knowledge of C++.
• Experience with RTOS such as Zephyr, FreeRTOS, or similar.
• Comfort working with MCU peripherals, datasheets, and startup code.
• Familiarity with Embedded Linux user-space development.
• Knowledge of IP networking interfaces (UART, SPI, I2C, USB, CAN).
• Python scripting for automation and CI/CD workflows.
• Experience debugging with oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, JTAG, and GDB.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement robust C/C++ firmware for safety-critical embedded devices.
• Architect RTOS-based firmware in Zephyr/FreeRTOS including scheduling and ISR design.
• Write low-level peripheral drivers and bring up silicon from reset.
• Interface RTOS devices with Embedded Linux user-space applications.
• Maintain and improve CI/CD pipelines and on-target/hardware-in-the-loop tests.
• Bring up new hardware, debug complex issues with JTAG/GDB, optimize latency/power/memory.
• Collaborate with safety teams to ensure compliance with IEC 61508.

Skills

Embedded C

C++

RTOS (Zephyr)

RTOS (FreeRTOS)

MCU peripherals

Embedded Linux

Networking (UART, SPI, I2C, USB, CAN)

Python

Debugging (GDB/JTAG)

Education

B.S. in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Computer Science

Tools

GitLab CI

GDB

JTAG

West tooling

CI/CD pipelines

Job description

As an Embedded Software Engineer II, you will own specific components of our embedded stack, working close to the hardware on the real-time firmware that our safety devices depend on. Most of your time will be spent in RTOS environments (Zephyr and FreeRTOS) and on bare-metal targets, architecting safety-critical systems where reliability is a hard requirement. You will also work with our Embedded Linux platforms where the two worlds meet, so you will be comfortable moving between constrained real-time targets and richer application environments.

What You'll Do

• Build the Core: Design and implement robust C/C++ firmware for safety-critical embedded devices.
• Real-Time Architecture: Architect and implement RTOS-based firmware on Zephyr and FreeRTOS, including task and scheduling design, ISR handling, inter-task communication, memory and stack budgeting, and deterministic timing analysis.
• Bare-Metal and Drivers: Write low-level peripheral drivers and board support code, and bring up new silicon from reset vector through to a running application.
• Platform Integration: Interface RTOS devices with our Embedded Linux user-space applications, ensuring reliable communication and consistent behavior across the product.
• Pipeline & Quality: Maintain and improve CI/CD pipelines (GitLab) to automate testing, including on-target and hardware-in-the-loop test execution.
• Hardware Integration: Bring up new hardware, debug complex issues using JTAG/GDB, and optimize for latency, power, and memory footprint.
• Safety Compliance: Collaborate with the safety team to ensure code adheres to rigorous standards (IEC 61508) while maintaining development velocity.

What You Bring

• Experience: 3-5 years of hands-on embedded software development, with a substantial portion on RTOS or bare-metal targets.
• Core Languages: Strong proficiency in C, along with working proficiency in C++.
• RTOS Knowledge: Solid production experience with an RTOS such as Zephyr, FreeRTOS, ThreadX, or similar, including scheduling, synchronization primitives, and interrupt-driven design.
• Microcontroller Fluency: Comfort working directly with MCU peripherals, datasheets, reference manuals, linker scripts, and startup code.
• Linux Exposure: Familiarity with Embedded Linux user-space development, sufficient to integrate and debug across the RTOS and Linux boundary.
• Connectivity: Familiarity with IP networking protocols and standard interfaces (UART, SPI, I2C, USB, CAN).
• Tooling: Experience with Python for scripting/automation and familiarity with CI/CD workflows.
• Debugging: Comfort using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, JTAG, and GDB to troubleshoot hard-to-find bugs.
• Education: B.S. in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent experience.

Bonus Points

• Experience with Zephyr specifically, including devicetree, Kconfig, and west-based workflows.
• Experience with wireless stacks (BLE, ISM, Wi‑Fi) on constrained devices.
• Background in Functional Safety (FuSa) or working in regulated industries (Medical, Automotive, Aerospace).
• Low-level Linux knowledge of Board Support Packages (BSP) and device drivers.
• Familiarity with static analysis, MISRA C, or other coding standards used in safety‑critical development.