Firmware Engineer

Actalent; Broomfield (CO); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid holidays and vacation

Job summary

Actalent in Broomfield seeks a Firmware Engineer to design, implement, and maintain bare-metal and RTOS firmware for smart card readers and controllers. You will optimize 13.56 MHz RFID/NFC processing and integrate secure mobile credentials.

Join a hybrid team collaborating with hardware and cloud specialists, delivering robust OTA updates, secure communications, and rigorous testing in a fast-paced, security-focused environment.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of embedded software development in C/C++.
• Real-time OS experience (FreeRTOS/Zephyr) on ARM Cortex‑M.
• Proficient with logic analyzers and oscilloscopes.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain bare-metal and RTOS firmware for readers and controllers.
• Optimize 13.56 MHz RFID/NFC field processing and protocol support (ISO/IEC, MIFARE/DESFire).
• Integrate secure mobile credentials (Apple/Google Wallet) using SE/SAM.
• Implement secure communication protocols (OSDP, TLS/TCP/IP, RS-485, BLE).
• Develop OTA/FOTA firmware update mechanisms with tamper-resistance.
• Troubleshoot networking across serial, IP, and RF interfaces.
• Collaborate with hardware during bring-up, SI testing, and power management.
• Drive automated testing and CI/CD for HIL environments.
• Lead root-cause analysis for RF/timing/protocol issues.

Skills

Embedded C/C++

RTOS (FreeRTOS/Zephyr)

ARM Cortex-M

Logic analyzers & oscilloscopes

Ethernet & low-level drivers

NFC/RFID security protocols

Job description

Job Title: Firmware Engineer

We are seeking a talented Firmware Engineer to design, implement, and maintain bare-metal and RTOS-based firmware for smart card readers and controllers. This role involves optimizing high-frequency RFID/NFC field processing and integrating mobile credentials securely.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and maintain bare-metal and RTOS-based firmware for smart card readers and controllers.
• Optimize high-frequency (13.56 MHz) RFID/NFC field processing, including ISO/IEC and MIFARE/DESFire protocols.
• Integrate and secure mobile credentials, including Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, using Secure Elements (SE) and Secure Application Modules (SAM).
• Implement secure physical and logical communication protocols between readers, controllers, and cloud environments, such as OSDP, TLS/TCP/IP, RS-485, BLE, and Ethernet.
• Develop robust firmware update mechanisms (OTA/FOTA) over network protocols while ensuring tamper resistance and zero downtime.
• Troubleshoot complex networking issues across local serial buses, IP networks, and RF interfaces.
• Collaborate with hardware engineers during schematic review, board bring-up, signal integrity testing, and power management optimization.
• Drive automated firmware testing, unit testing, and CI/CD pipelines for hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) environments.
• Lead root-cause analysis for field escalation issues related to RF performance, timing dependencies, or protocol compliance.

Essential Skills

• 5+ years of professional embedded software development experience using C and C++.
• Strong background with real-time operating systems such as FreeRTOS, Zephyr, or similar, and ARM Cortex-M microcontrollers.
• Proficiency with logic analyzers and oscilloscopes.
• Experience with low-level drivers and Ethernet.
• Hands-on experience with NFC chipsets like the ST25R-series.
• Expertise in industrial or secure communication protocols including OSDP, RS-485, TCP/IP, UDP, TLS/DTLS, MQTT, or BLE stack development.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

• Direct background in the Physical Access Control System (PACS) industry.
• Deep knowledge of symmetric/asymmetric encryption (AES, ECC, RSA), PKI, secure boot, and hardware root-of-trust implementations.
• Experience with static code analysis and RF test equipment such as Proxmark and network analyzers.
• Exposure to compliance and certification standards like UL 294, FCC, CE, and ISO/IEC standards.
• Willingness to travel domestically and internationally ranging from 0 to 10 days per year.

Work Environment

This position operates in a hybrid work environment based in Broomfield, requiring onsite presence three times a week and the option to work from home twice a week. You will be part of a dynamic and ambitious team, interacting with multiple departments, all focused on meaningful work that emphasizes safety and security.

Job Type & Location

This is a Permanent position based out of Broomfield, CO.

Pay And Benefits

The pay range for this position is $120000.00 - $150000.00/yr.

Individual compensation offered for this position within this range will depend on many factors, including qualifications, skills, relevant experience, job knowledge, geographic location, internal equity, and other pertinent job-related factors.

Benefits include great rates on company-sponsored medical, dental, and vision with HSA-eligible plans available, generous retirement with up to 6% 401k match, and holidays, vacation, and sick leave.

Workplace Type

This is a hybrid position in Broomfield,CO.

Application Deadline

This position is anticipated to close on Oct 12, 2026.

About Actalent

Actalent is a global leader in engineering and sciences services and talent solutions. We help visionary companies advance their engineering and science initiatives through access to specialized experts who drive scale, innovation and speed to market. With a network of almost 20,000 consultants and 5,000 clients across the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe, Actalent serves many of the Fortune 500. We are proud to be an Engineering News-Record (ENR) Top 500 Design Firm for our engineering design services and a ClearlyRated Best of Staffing® winner for both client and talent service.

The company is an equal opportunity employer and will consider all applications without regard to race, sex, age, color, religion, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information or any characteristic protected by law.

If you would like to request a reasonable accommodation, such as the modification or adjustment of the job application process or interviewing process due to a disability, please email [e-mail] for other accommodation options.

San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance: Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, for all positions located in the city and county of San Francisco, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Massachusetts Lie Detector: It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI): We may use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to support parts of our hiring process, including sourcing, screening, and evaluating candidates. AI helps assess applications and qualifications, but final decisions are made by our hiring team. By applying, you acknowledge and agree that your application may be reviewed using AI tools.