Firmware Engineer

Socket.dev; Mountain View (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

ACS Equity Package

Health, Dental, Vision Insurance

Paid Time Off

Job summary

Allen Control Systems is seeking a firmware engineer to own low-level embedded software for autonomous fielded aircraft. You will decide between bare-metal and RTOS, integrate sensors, and design deployment strategies while shaping the HIL testing framework.

You’ll work on time- and safety-critical firmware with 4+ years of experience, using C/C++ and STM32 toolchains, contributing to robust, well-documented architecture choices and field-ready software.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of embedded firmware development; fluent in C and C++ required.
• Bare-metal and RTOS embedded architectures; strong working knowledge of CAN, I2C, UART and Ethernet.
• Bootloader design and firmware deployment for fielded systems; experience with hardware-in-the-loop testing.
• Strong ability to document and justify architectural decisions clearly and concisely.

Responsibilities

• Own the architecture and implementation of time- and safety-critical embedded firmware on STM32-based platforms; evaluate existing firmware ecosystems and decide what to carry forward or redesign.
• Write drivers for sensors and peripherals; configure CAN, I2C, UART, and Ethernet as needed for each use case.
• Define deployment strategies for fielded aircraft, including bootloader design and OTA/field update approaches.
• Set up and maintain hardware-in-the-loop testing infrastructure; document architectural decisions and tradeoffs clearly.

Skills

C

C++

Embedded firmware

RTOS

CAN

I2C

UART

Ethernet

Bootloader

HIL testing

Documentation

Tools

STM32

Job description

Company Overview

Allen Control Systems (ACS) is a cutting-edge defense startup founded by two former Navy electrical engineers with a proven track record in robotics and software. We are developing an autonomous gun turret using advanced computer vision and control systems to precisely detect, track, and neutralize enemy drones.

With an engineering-first culture, ACS values technical excellence and innovation. Backed by our founders’ successful exits from two previous ventures acquired for a combined $180M in 2022, we are committed to ensuring that the groundbreaking technologies we develop will have a real-world impact.

About The Role

We are looking for a Firmware Engineer to own the low-level embedded software that runs our autonomous aircraft in the field. This is a deep individual contributor role for someone with 4+ years of industry experience who can operate at the architecture and design level from day one. You will make real decisions about bare-metal versus RTOS tradeoffs, sensor and peripheral integration, deployment strategies for fielded aircraft, and the HIL testing infrastructure that validates it all. You are expected to document and justify those decisions with the same rigor you apply to the code itself.

What You’ll Do

• Own the architecture and implementation of time- and safety-critical embedded firmware on STM32-based platforms; evaluate existing firmware ecosystems and make well-reasoned decisions about what to carry forward versus redesign from scratch.

• Write drivers for sensors and peripherals; select and configure communication protocols including CAN, I2C, UART, and Ethernet appropriate to each use case.

• Determine and implement deployment strategies for fielded aircraft, including bootloader design and over-the-air or field update approaches.

• Set up and maintain hardware-in-the-loop testing infrastructure; produce thorough design documentation that captures architectural decisions, protocol selections, and tradeoffs clearly enough to stand on their own.

What You’ll Need

• 4+ years of industry experience in embedded firmware development; fluency in C and C++ is required.

• Deep understanding of bare-metal and RTOS embedded architectures; strong working knowledge of embedded communication protocols including CAN, I2C, UART, and Ethernet and the ability to select the right tool for each application.

• Solid experience with bootloader design and firmware deployment for fielded systems; experience setting up hardware-in-the-loop testing environments.

• High standards for code quality and correctness; demonstrated ability to document and justify architectural decisions clearly and concisely so that design rationale is durable and legible to others.

You’ll Stand Out

• Background in aerospace, defense, or aviation; prior experience with HIL testing of aircraft or flight control systems specifically.

• Hands-on experience with STM32 microcontrollers and associated toolchains.

• Experience with safety-critical or DO-178C certified software development practices.

• Exposure to autonomous systems, robotics, or UAS platforms at the firmware level.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary

• ACS Equity Package

• Health, Dental, Vision Insurance

• Paid Time Off

Allen Control Systems is an Equal Opportunity Employer, providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment. Allen Control Systems prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. #LI-AS1