Embedded Systems / Firmware Engineer

Nocturnal; Cambridge (MA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary/contract rate

Equity (full-time)

Job summary

Nocturnal Inc. in Cambridge, MA is seeking an Embedded Systems / Firmware Engineer to own the hardware–firmware stack end-to-end for wearable electronics. You will design schematics, implement low-power firmware for nRF/STM32, and collaborate on device UX and manufacturing readiness.

This in-person role offers ownership, impact, and the chance to shape cutting-edge sleep technology. The ideal candidate will have 4+ years of embedded experience, strong BLE/low-power skills, and hands-on PCB

Qualifications

• 4+ years of experience in embedded systems development.
• Strong experience with nRF (Nordic) and/or STM32 platforms.
• Proficiency in embedded C/C++.
• Solid understanding of low-power design for battery-powered devices.
• Experience with BLE and wireless communication.
• Ability to design, test, and debug custom PCBs.
• Comfortable using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, JTAG/SWD debuggers.

Responsibilities

• Design and review schematics and PCB layouts for wearable electronics.
• Select and integrate sensors (IMU, PPG, temperature, etc.).
• Develop robust, low-power firmware for nRF and/or STM32 MCUs.
• Implement power management strategies (sleep states, energy profiling).
• Write clean, maintainable embedded C/C++ code.
• Bring up boards, debug hardware/firmware issues, and run validation tests.
• Optimize BLE communication for performance and power.
• Collaborate on device UX, haptics, indicators, and user interaction flows.
• Support manufacturing readiness (DFM, testing procedures, revisions).

Skills

embedded systems development

nRF (Nordic)

STM32

embedded C/C++

low-power design

BLE

custom PCBs

debug hardware/firmware

Tools

JTAG/SWD

Oscilloscope

Logic Analyzer

Job description

Nocturnal Inc. Embedded Systems / Firmware Engineer Cambridge, MA·Full time Company website

We’re looking for a Embedded Systems / Firmware Engineer own the hardware–firmware stack end-to-end. The ideal candidate will bring strong embedded systems experience and a passion for creating innovative consumer electronics.

About Nocturnal Inc.

At Nocturnal, believe sleep is not a passive state, but an active frontier where technology, data, and insights could converge to improve lives in profound ways.By combining cutting‑edge science and design, we are pushing boundaries of what’s possible in sleep.

Description

Nocturnal Inc. is building next‑generation sleep technologies which augments human health, performance and well‑being.

We’re looking for an engineer who can own the hardware–firmware stack end-to-end: from circuit design and sensor integration to low‑power firmware, testing, and UX‑aware embedded behavior. This is an in person position in Cambridge MA. The ideal candidate has experience taking hardware from prototype through production.

This is a hands‑on role with real ownership and impact.

What You’ll Do

• Design and review schematics and PCB layouts for wearable electronics
• Select and integrate sensors (IMU, PPG, temperature, etc.)
• Develop robust, low‑power firmware for nRF and/or STM MCUs
• Implement power management strategies (sleep states, battery optimization, energy profiling)
• Write clean, maintainable, well‑documented embedded C/C++ code
• Bring up boards, debug hardware/firmware issues, and run validation tests
• Optimize BLE communication for performance and power
• Collaborate on device UX, haptics, indicators, and user interaction flows
• Support manufacturing readiness (DFM, testing procedures, revisions)

Required Qualifications

• 4+ years of experience in embedded systems development
• Strong experience with nRF (Nordic) and/or STM32 platforms
• Proficiency in embedded C/C++
• Solid understanding of low‑power design for battery‑powered devices
• Experience with BLE and wireless communication
• Ability to design, test, and debug custom PCBs
• Comfortable using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, JTAG/SWD debuggers

Nice to Have

• Experience with wearables, medical, or sleep tech devices
• Knowledge of Zephyr RTOS, FreeRTOS, or similar
• Sensor fusion or signal processing experience
• Familiarity with power profiling tools (Nordic Power Profiler, etc.)
• UX-driven embedded behavior (state machines, haptics, LEDs)
• Manufacturing, certification, or regulatory exposure (FCC, CE)

What We Offer

• Work on a cutting‑edge sleep wearable with real user impact
• High ownership and technical autonomy
• Competitive salary / contract rate + equity (for full‑time)
• Opportunity to shape both the product and engineering culture