Senior Firmware Engineer

Smart Start, Inc.; Grapevine (TX); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 155,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) match

Birthday bonus

Discounts

Job summary

Smart Start, Inc. is seeking a Senior Firmware Engineer to join our Engineering & Test team. You will shape firmware architecture, drive real-time system development, and work across hardware and software to deliver production-ready solutions.

You will own firmware components from concept through production, mentor teammates, and elevate engineering standards while collaborating with cross-functional teams to ensure system reliability and scalability.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
• 5+ years of embedded systems development experience.
• Advanced proficiency in embedded C/C++ programming.
• Experience with RTOS and real-time systems.
• Hardware/software integration and low-level debugging expertise.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain embedded software and device drivers using C/C++ for production hardware systems.
• Architect and enhance firmware for real-time systems with RTOS, state machines, and event-driven design patterns.
• Lead development of communication interfaces (I2C, SPI, UART, USB, Bluetooth).
• Develop and optimize software for displays, sensors, and control systems.
• Collaborate with hardware/test teams to validate firmware and drive reliable integration.

Skills

Embedded C/C++

Systems thinking

Debugging

Cross-functional collaboration

Mentorship

Firmware architecture

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering / Computer Science

Tools

RTOS

Python

JIRA

SVN

Job description

REPORTS TO: VP of Engineering

SCHEDULE: Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm (Hybrid)

Note: We do not provide employment-based visa sponsorship or transfers for any position

Why You Should Join Us!

• A comprehensive health plan that includes medical,dental, andvision coverage to ensure you and your family have access to the care you need
• A 401(k)-retirement plan with a generous company match to help you save for your future and achieve your financial goals
• Other fringe benefits including Birthday & Anniversary bonus, company-wide discounts, life insurance, Telemedicine access, short & long-term disability, and more!
• Positive work environments that offer work/life balance and professional growth
• Mission-driven work making a global impact with local roots
• The opportunity to have hands on work experience with industry leading, innovative technology

Position Summary

We are seeking a Senior Firmware Engineer who will serve as a high-impact technical contributor within our Engineering & Test team. This position is ideal for an experienced embedded systems professional who combines deep hands-on development expertise with strong architectural thinking and cross-functional collaboration skills.

This role goes beyond feature implementation. You will help shape firmware architecture, influence hardware/software integration decisions, anticipate technical risks, and elevate engineering standards across embedded products. You will be expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy, take ownership of complex firmware initiatives, and contribute meaningfully to long-term product reliability and scalability.

The ideal candidate is a strong systems thinker who understands how firmware, hardware, and product requirements intersect and can proactively guide development efforts to deliver stable, production-ready solutions.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain embedded software and device drivers using C/C++ for production hardware systems.
• Architect and enhance firmware for real-time systems using RTOS environments, state machines, and event-driven design patterns.
• Lead development of communication interfaces including I2C, SPI, UART, USB, Bluetooth, and other wired/wireless protocols.
• Develop and optimize software for displays, sensors, control systems, and closed-loop systems such as PID controllers.
• Interpret schematics, datasheets, and hardware specifications to drive low-level software implementation and hardware/software integration decisions.
• Utilize lab equipment such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, multimeters, and related diagnostic tools to perform advanced debugging, validation, and root cause analysis.
• Develop and maintain Python-based scripts, utilities, and test frameworks used for firmware flashing, device configuration, automated testing, data collection, log analysis, and engineering diagnostics.
• Design, execute, and document functional tests for printed circuit board assemblies and their individual components, including microcontrollers, sensors, memory devices, communication interfaces, power supplies, relays, and other input/output circuitry.
• Perform board-level troubleshooting to isolate firmware, hardware, and component-level failures using schematics, datasheets, test points, diagnostic equipment, and automated test tools.
• Collaborate with hardware and test engineers to establish PCB test requirements, acceptance criteria, test coverage, and repeatable validation procedures for prototype and production hardware.
• Create or enhance automated bench and hardware-in-the-loop test environments to validate firmware behavior, component functionality, communication interfaces, fault handling, and system performance.
• Collaborate closely with hardware, firmware, and application teams to integrate new features and ensure system-level reliability.
• Identify architectural improvements, technical debt, and performance constraints, and proactively implement scalable solutions.
• Contribute to development planning by forecasting technical challenges, hardware dependencies, and resource needs.
• Document firmware architecture, workflows, and design decisions using modeling tools such as UML, sequence diagrams, and flowcharts.
• Implement and advocate for best practices in code quality, static analysis, environmental testing, and secure embedded development.
• Serve as a senior technical resource within the team, elevating engineering standards through code reviews, mentorship, and design input.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field required.
• A minimum of 5 years of progressive experience in embedded systems development required.
• Advanced proficiency in embedded C/C++ programming required.
• Strong experience developing firmware within RTOS environments and real-time systems required.
• Demonstrated expertise in hardware/software integration and low-level debugging required.
• Hands-on experience performing functional and board-level testing of printed circuit board assemblies and individual electronic components required.
• Ability to interpret schematics, component datasheets, test specifications, and electrical measurements to diagnose PCB and component-level failures required.
• Proficiency using Python to develop test automation, engineering utilities, device communication tools, data acquisition scripts, and diagnostic applications required.
• Proven ability to independently own firmware components from concept through production required.
• Strong analytical, troubleshooting, and communication skills required.
• Experience working with microcontroller platforms such as Renesas, MSP430, Nordic, or similar preferred.
• Experience implementing communication protocols including I2C, SPI, UART, USB, and Bluetooth preferred.
• Experience with USB and Bluetooth stacks as well as automotive protocols such as OBD-II preferred.
• Knowledge of cellular communication technologies such as GSM, LTE, and CDMA, as well as serial communication standards such as RS-485, preferred.
• Experience developing automated hardware test systems, hardware-in-the-loop test environments, or production test fixtures preferred.
• Experience using Python libraries and interfaces for serial communication, instrumentation control, data analysis, or automated test reporting preferred.
• Familiarity with Agile development methodologies and tools such as JIRA and SVN preferred.
• Exposure to additional higher-level languages such as Java or C# for tooling, test automation, or system integration preferred.
• Experience in regulated, safety-sensitive, or hardware-centric product environments preferred.

Physical Demands & Work Environment

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions.

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers to handle, or feel objects, tools or controls. The employee is occasionally required to stand; walk; sit; reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; and stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee(s) incumbent in this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by any person authorized to give instructions or assignments.

All duties and responsibilities are essential functions and requirements and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate individuals with disabilities. To perform this job successfully, the incumbents will possess the skills aptitudes and abilities to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health or safety of themselves or others.

The requirements listed in this document are the minimum levels of knowledge, skills or abilities. This document does not create an employment contract, implied or otherwise, other than an “at will” relationship.