Firmware Engineer

Litter-Robot; Auburn Hills, Northern (MI, KY); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401K match

Pet-friendly office

Paid time off

On-site gym

Job summary

Whisker is seeking a Lead Engineer to drive embedded development of advanced motor control and robotic subsystems for our next‑generation smart pet products. You will operate at the front end of innovation, designing, prototyping and productizing high‑performance electromechanical systems.

This role requires deep firmware expertise, collaboration with cloud teams, and responsibility for code release, reviews, and system testing.

Qualifications

• BS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering or related field.
• 5+ years in low-level firmware for embedded systems.
• In-depth understanding of embedded firmware design principles, patterns and best practices.
• Expertise in C and C++ for firmware development.
• Knowledge of MCU, sensors, drivers, and interfaces (PWM, UART, I2C, SPI, USB, BLE, WiFi).
• Experience with AWS IoT Device SDK and MQTT.
• Embedded Linux (Yocto) and system integration.
• Version control with Git/GitHub.
• Testing: TDD, integration and regression testing.

Responsibilities

• Architects and implements technical solutions on embedded systems to support IoT smart pet products
• Works closely with AWS cloud engineering team on solutions for data management
• Manages code release process for embedded team
• Conducts code reviews across multiple teams
• Conducts integration and system-level testing
• Programs, solves, and debugs with detailed knowledge in machine control and multi-threaded / multi-core programming environments
• Documents and demonstrates solutions by developing documentation, flowcharts, layouts, diagrams, charts, code comments and clear code
• Stays up to date with state-of-the-art development tools, programming techniques, and computing equipment
• Will perform additional responsibilities when required

Skills

C/C++ firmware

Embedded systems

RTOS (FreeRTOS)

Microcontroller selection

IoT/MQTT

Embedded Linux

GitHub

Python (nice to have)

BLE/WiFi

Education

BS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering or related field

Tools

AWS IoT Device SDK

GitHub

Yocto

ST/ESP MCU ecosystems

MQTT

Job description

Description

Whisker is redefining what it means to live with cats—designing intelligent systems that remove friction, elevate the everyday, and celebrate the quiet brilliance of feline companionship. Today, Litter-Robot leads the category. Tomorrow, an entire ecosystem that expands what’s possible for cats and the people who love them. We believe the future is feline. And we’re imagining that future today.

We work onsite 4+ days a week, with our team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and Juneau, Wisconsin. Our team of 700+ passionate pet people thrives on collaboration, innovation, and the occasional office cameo from a four-legged friend.

What You’ll Do

The Lead Engineer drives embedded development of advanced motor control and robotic subsystems for Whisker’s next-generation smart pet products. Operating at the front end of innovation, this role focuses on designing, prototyping and productization of high-performance electromechanical systems.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

This list of duties and responsibilities is not all-inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties and responsibilities as deemed necessary.

• Architects and implements technical solutions on embedded systems to support IoT smart pet products
• Works closely with AWS cloud engineering team on solutions for data management
• Manages code release process for embedded team
• Conducts code reviews across multiple teams
• Conducts integration and system-level testing
• Programs, solves, and debugs with detailed knowledge in machine control and multi-threaded / multi-core programming environments, software applications, and device layering programs
• Provides information by collecting, analyzing, and summarizing development issues
• Documents and demonstrates solutions by developing documentation, flowcharts, layouts, diagrams, charts, code comments and clear code
• Stays up to date with state-of-the-art development tools, programming techniques, and computing equipment by participating in educational opportunities, reading professional publications, maintaining personal networks and participating in professional organizations
• Will perform additional responsibilities when required

Requirements

What You’ll Bring

• BS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering or a related field.
• 5+ years of experience with low-level firmware development for embedded systems.
• In-depth understanding of embedded firmware design principles, patterns and best practices.
• Expertise in C and C++ for firmware development.
• Solid understanding of:
  • C/C++, Bare Metal, FreeRTOS (or similar)
  • Microcontroller and sensor HW selection
  • Low-level and device driver development
  • PWM, UART, I2C, SPI, SDIO, MIPI, USB, BLE, and WiFi
  • AWS IoT Device SDK (or similar) and MQTT protocol
• Experience with the following:
  • Embedded Linux (Yocto or similar)
  • System integration with electronic subsystems and sensors
  • Test Driven Development methodology
  • Version control tools such as Github, etc.
  • Power supplies, meters, oscilloscopes, signal generators, etc.
  • ST and Espressif MCUs and their respective development ecosystems
  • Supporting medium to large-scale IoT product deployments, including secure and reliable firmware OTA updates.
• Maintains confidentiality of proprietary information.
• Applied knowledge of control theory, including PID loop tuning, motor control (stepper/BLDC), and closed-loop systems
• Experience with rapid prototyping platforms, SBCs, and robotics systems (e.g., Arduino, Raspberry Pi, VEX)
• Ability to maintain a professional atmosphere in a fast-paced environment with numerous interactions and interruptions.
• A high degree of initiative, self-motivation, and ability to motivate others
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with colleagues
• Comfortable with office pets (cats, dogs)

Not Required but Nice to Have!

• Experience with Bootloader development
• Basic understanding of mechanical systems
• Experience conceptualizing, developing, and deploying Machine Learning (ML) and Computer Vision (CV) models from scratch
• Proficiency in Python and standard Data Science methodologies
• Hands-on experience with deep learning frameworks and CV platforms (e.g., TensorFlow, Keras, PyTorch, YOLO, and Roboflow)

Benefits & Purrks

Join a tenacious, inventive company that empowers team members to chart their own path, lead by grounding decisions in the “why”, and has a strong sense of empathy and openness to new perspectives. Be a part of exciting growth, work with incredible people, and create tomorrow’s pet products—plus a whole lot of extras. You will also be provided with:

• Premium Medical/Dental/Vision insurance
• Paid parental leave
• Whisker Parents Program
• 1 day "pawternity" leave for new pet adoption
• Pet Insurance Discount
• 401K match
• Flexible spending accounts
• Company-paid short-term disability and life insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Generous paid time off
• 14 Paid Holidays
• Top of the line equipment
• Pet-friendly office
• Whisker products and swag
• Continuing education Support
• On-site gym with Peloton
• Referral program

Statement of Inclusivity

We believe different perspectives make Whisker better and strive to create a place where everyone has equal opportunities to thrive.

While Whisker is an AI-forward organization, we will not ask you to interview with an AI agent. We lead with a human first approach for hiring. We ask that you refrain from using an AI tools during any interview.

Please ensure to regularly check your email spam folder for any communication from Whisker to avoid missing important updates regarding your application status.