Firmware Development Engineer New Alameda, CA

Kairos Power; Alameda (CA); On-site; USD 92,000 - 109,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Medical, dental and vision benefits

Paid vacation

401(k) and related benefits

Job summary

Kairos Power is seeking an entry-level firmware engineer to join the Plant Instrumentation, Control & Electrical (IC&E) systems design team. You will develop, test, and document firmware for reactor protection and related plant systems for the KP-FHR technology.

Under the guidance of the RPS Lead Engineer, you will gain hands-on experience with embedded systems, hardware integration, and safety-critical software development practices in a nuclear environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in related field
• 0–2 years of experience suitable for entry level
• C/C++ in embedded context
• Able to read schematics & technical docs
• Familiar with Git & testing practices
• Interest in safety-critical engineering & nuclear energy

Responsibilities

• Develop and test firmware for plant instrumentation and control systems
• Debug embedded firmware in C/C++ and support FPGA logic
• Assist with firmware requirements, interfaces, and traceability
• Develop unit/integration/regression tests and document results
• Support hardware bring-up and firmware integration
• Maintain reproducible builds with version control
• Collaborate with hardware, controls, systems, and test engineers
• Follow nuclear QA, software lifecycle, and cybersecurity procedures

Skills

C/C++ programming

Embedded software debugging

Version control (Git)

Digital logic basics

Documentation & testing

Team collaboration

Python test automation

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical/Computer Engineering or related

Tools

Git

FPGA tools

Oscilloscopes & lab instruments

SPI/I2C/UART interfaces

VHDL/Verilog basics

Job description

Kairos Power is a new nuclear energy technology and engineering company whose mission is to enable the world’s transition to clean energy, with the ultimate goal to dramatically improve people’s quality of life while protecting the environment. This goal will be accomplished through the commercialization of the fluoride-salt-cooled, high-temperature reactor (FHR) that can be deployed with robust safety, affordable costs, and flexible operation to accommodate the expansion of variable renewables.

Job Summary

Kairos Power is looking for an entry-level firmware engineer to join the Plant Instrumentation, Control & Electrical (IC&E) systems design team. Working under the technical guidance of the Reactor Protection System (RPS) Lead Engineer and experienced team members, this person will develop, test, and document firmware for reactor protection and related plant systems supporting the KP-FHR reactor technology. The role provides hands-on experience with embedded systems, hardware integration, and disciplined development practices for safety-related applications.

Primary Responsibilities

The person will work with an integrated design team to perform the following duties:

• Support firmware development for plant instrumentation and control systems, including:
  • Safety-related reactor protection systems, including signal acquisition, protection logic, diagnostics, and equipment interfaces.
  • Related plant investment protection and non-safety control or test systems, as required.
• Implement and debug embedded firmware in C/C++ and support FPGA logic development, as applicable to the selected platform, using approved requirements, designs, and coding practices.
• Assist with firmware requirements, interface definitions, design descriptions, and traceability between requirements, implementation, and verification evidence.
• Develop and execute unit, integration, and regression tests; record results, investigate anomalies, and support independent verification and validation activities.
• Support laboratory hardware bring-up and firmware integration using schematics, component datasheets, debuggers, oscilloscopes, and logic analyzers under appropriate supervision.
• Use version control, configuration management, code reviews, and change control to maintain reproducible builds and documented firmware releases.
• Collaborate with hardware, controls, systems, and test engineers to resolve interface issues and support system testing and commissioning activities as assigned.
• Learn and follow applicable nuclear quality assurance, software lifecycle, and cybersecurity procedures; promptly raise technical concerns and incorporate review feedback.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Entry-level position suitable for recent graduates or candidates with 0-2 years of relevant experience. Coursework, laboratory work, capstone projects, internships, and personal projects are acceptable; prior nuclear industry experience is not required.
• Foundational programming skills in C or C++, with experience developing and debugging software for a microcontroller, embedded processor, or comparable project platform.
• Understanding of digital logic and basic embedded concepts such as memory, interrupts, timers, state machines, and real-time behavior.
• Ability to read technical documentation and basic schematics, troubleshoot methodically, and document designs, test results, and issues clearly.
• Familiarity with version control, such as Git, and basic software testing practices; willingness to work within a documented engineering development process.
• Strong attention to detail, clear communication, and an ability to work collaboratively, ask questions, and learn from technical reviews.
• Preferred exposure through coursework or projects to VHDL/Verilog and FPGA tools, Python test automation, laboratory instruments, or interfaces such as SPI, I2C, and UART.
• Interest in nuclear energy and safety-critical engineering. Familiarity with requirements traceability, verification and validation, or quality assurance is a plus.

The salary range for this position is $92,454 to $108,769 for employees working onsite at our Alameda, CA headquarters. The range provided in this job posting represents the typical range or starting rate of candidates hired in California. Factors that may be used to determine your actual salary may include your education, experience, knowledge, skills, ability and the market data for your work location, and a comparison to other employees already in the role.

#LI-Hybrid

About our Benefits

We know that we have some of the most talented and dedicated employees, and we believe in rewarding them accordingly. If you work here, full-time employees (excludes interns) expect to have access to the benefits below:

• Competitive compensation packages
• Medical, dental and vision benefits for employees and their dependents
• Paid Vacation
• 401(k) and pre-tax health insurance, dependent care, and commuter benefits (FSA)

Kairos Power is committed to building a diverse workforce that reflects the communities where we do business. Kairos Power is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. We actively welcome people of different experiences, abilities, and perspectives.

Candidates only, no recruiters or agencies please.

Note: You are applying for a position that is located in a facility that handles information that is subject to export control restrictions by the Department of Energy under 10 CFR Part 810. To work in this facility, you need to be authorized by the Department of Energy to access Part 810-controlled information. Foreign nationals who are citizens of countries that are not on the Department of Energy’s general authorization list (link below) are not permitted to work in our facility unless the Department of Energy issues an export control license to the company to permit that individual to have access to Part 810-controlled information. The following questions are intended to determine the licensing requirements that may apply. https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/10/appendix-A_to_part_810