Senior Embedded Software & Firmware Engineer

Arxlight Pictures; Oakland (CA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Arxlight Pictures in Oakland, CA is seeking an Embedded Software & Firmware Engineer to develop the low-level software powering our flight systems. You will implement hardware drivers, configure NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX compute modules, and build the core firmware for our flight controllers.

Responsibilities include driver development (I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, Ethernet), JetPack provisioning, real-time embedded flight software, and edge Linux optimization.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Computer Science.
• 4+ years of embedded software/firmware experience.
• Expert-level C and C++ in resource-constrained environments.
• Hands-on with NVIDIA Jetson (Orin/Xavier) and Linux-based embedded systems.
• Real-Time OS experience (FreeRTOS, Zephyr, or similar).
• Deep understanding of serial protocols, HALs, and memory-mapped I/O.

Responsibilities

• Design and implement low-level drivers (I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, Ethernet) for sensors and actuators.
• Lead setup, flashing, and provisioning of NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX modules with JetPack and secure boot.
• Develop and maintain real-time embedded flight controller firmware.
• Perform hardware-software bring-up on custom PCBAs using logic analyzers and oscilloscopes.
• Customize Linux kernels and device trees for edge robotics workloads.
• Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines for firmware and edge software.

Skills

C

C++

NVIDIA Jetson

RTOS

Serial protocols

HAL

Python

Bash

CMake

Education

Bachelor's or Master's in Computer/Electrical Engineering or CS

Tools

NVIDIA JetPack

Jetson ecosystem

Logic analyzers

Job description

Company Overview
We are a rapidly growing technology startup focused on delivering next-generation drones for security and safety applications. Our company vertically integrates hardware and software to create leading edge capabilities in the UAV space, with a focus on saving lives.

As an Embedded Software & Firmware Engineer, you will develop the low-level software that powers our flight systems. You will be responsible for writing hardware drivers, configuring and provisioning the Jetson Orin NX compute modules, and developing the core firmware for our flight controllers.

Key Responsibilities

• Driver Development: Design and implement robust low-level drivers (I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, Ethernet) to interface with mission-critical sensors and actuators.

• Compute Provisioning: Lead the setup, flashing, and provisioning of NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX modules, including JetPack optimization and secure boot configurations.

• Flight Controller Firmware: Develop and maintain real-time embedded software for flight control units, ensuring deterministic performance and low-latency execution.

• System Bring-up: Perform hardware-software integration and "first-light" testing on custom PCBAs, utilizing logic analyzers and oscilloscopes to debug timing issues.

• Edge Linux Optimization: Customize Linux kernels and Device Trees to optimize resource allocation for high-performance robotics applications.

• Automation & CI/CD: Build and maintain CI/CD pipelines for embedded targets, automating build, test, and deployment workflows for firmware and edge software.

Required Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's or Master's in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Computer Science with 4+ YOE

• Embedded Mastery: Expert-level proficiency in C and C++ for resource-constrained environments and bare-metal programming.

• Edge Compute: Hands-on experience with the NVIDIA Jetson ecosystem (Orin/Xavier) and Linux-based embedded systems.

• RTOS Experience: Strong background in Real-Time Operating Systems such as FreeRTOS, Zephyr, or similar deterministic kernels.

• Protocol Proficiency: Deep understanding of serial communication protocols, hardware abstraction layers (HAL), and memory-mapped I/O.

Preferred Skills

• Proficiency with hardware debugging tools such as JTAG, SWD, and logic analyzers.

• Experience in scripting (Bash, Python) for environment setup and deployment.

• Knowledge of build systems like CMake and cross-compilation toolchains

Experience in high-reliability industries (Aerospace, Defense, or Automotive).