Senior Firmware Engineer

Vector Atomic; Pleasanton (CA); On-site; USD 142,113 - 186,063; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Platinum-level family health coverage

Health and dependent care FSA

Employer 401(k) contributions

20 days paid time off

Paid parental leave

Stock ownership plan

Fully stocked kitchen

Job summary

Vector Atomic, based in Pleasanton, CA, is seeking a Senior Firmware Engineer to join their team focused on developing groundbreaking quantum sensing technologies. You will work alongside physicists and engineers, designing embedded software for microcontrollers and implementing control algorithms critical for high-precision measurements.

This role offers a competitive compensation package, including a salary range of $142,113 to $186,063, health benefits, paid time off, and more.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science.
• 5+ years of relevant experience in embedded systems.
• Demonstrated ability to resolve bugs in firmware.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with a team to deliver next-generation quantum instruments.
• Write and verify embedded firmware for ST microcontrollers.
• Implement control algorithms for high-precision sensing instruments.

Skills

Production-quality C/C++ code

Interrupt service routines

Peripheral drivers

Embedded MCUs with RTOS

TCP, UDP, UART, SPI, I2C

Python, Perl scripting

Test and measurement equipment

Debugging and simulation tools

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering

Tools

Oscilloscopes

Function generators

Voltmeters

Job description

About IonQ

IonQ, Inc. [NYSE: IONQ] is the world’s leading quantum company delivering solutions to solve the world’s most complex problems. IonQ’s newest generation quantum computers, IonQ Tempo and IonQ Forte Enterprise, are the latest in cutting‑edge systems that have been helping customers and partners such as Amazon Web Services, AstraZeneca, and NVIDIA achieve 20x performance results. The company achieved 99.99% two‑qubit gate fidelity, setting a world record in quantum computing performance in 2025.

About Vector Atomic

Vector Atomic, an IonQ company, is building quantum technology to transform navigation, timing, geophysical exploration, and telecommunications. Our team of engineers, scientists, software developers, and operations professionals works together to solve complex challenges and turn bold ideas into real‑world solutions. We value collaboration, curiosity, and diverse perspectives, and we give every team member the opportunity to make an immediate impact while growing their skills. If you’re excited to work on breakthrough technology in a fast‑paced, hands‑on environment, we’d love to hear from you.

The Role

We are looking for a skilled Senior Firmware Engineer to join a cross‑functional team of physicists, electronics engineers, and firmware developers building next‑generation quantum sensing instruments. In this role, you will design, implement, and verify embedded software for ST microcontrollers — including COTS devices and MCUs on custom ASICs — and develop the low‑level control algorithms that make precision measurement possible. You will work closely with hardware engineers throughout the full product development cycle, from schematic review to board bring‑up and production.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with a cross‑functional team of physicists, electronics engineers, and firmware engineers to design and deliver next‑generation quantum instruments.
• Write and verify embedded firmware for ST microcontrollers, including COTS devices and MCUs integrated into custom ASICs.
• Implement control algorithms critical to the operation of high‑precision sensing instruments.
• Develop peripheral drivers for mixed‑signal and other devices, working directly from electronic schematics.
• Partner with hardware engineers to support board testing and hardware bring‑up activities.
• Contribute to continuous process improvement by authoring task tickets in GitHub and participating in code reviews, project reviews, and retrospectives.
• Clearly document and communicate your work through written and verbal channels with coworkers and collaborators.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science with substantial embedded systems coursework, lab, or internship experience; other technical degrees considered with 5+ years of directly relevant experience.
• Demonstrated ability to write production‑quality C/C++ code for small embedded processors.
• Proficiency writing interrupt service routines, peripheral drivers, and multi‑threaded firmware for embedded MCUs using RTOSs and/or bare‑metal environments.
• Experience interfacing with external devices via TCP, UDP, UART, SPI, I2C, or similar protocols.
• Familiarity with fixed‑point arithmetic and digital filter design for embedded applications.
• Experience developing scripts in Python, Perl, or similar languages.
• Hands‑on experience using test and measurement equipment (oscilloscopes, function generators, voltmeters) to validate firmware performance.
• Proven ability to isolate and resolve bugs using debuggers and simulation tools.
• Comfortable working in a laboratory environment.
• To comply with the US export control laws, Vector Atomic employees must be U.S. citizens (born or naturalized), lawful U.S. permanent residents (i.e., green card holders), and certain categories of refugees, and asylees.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience designing and implementing control algorithms such as PID controllers.
• Proficiency in assembly language programming for embedded targets.
• Experience implementing lightweight Ethernet stacks (e.g., lwIP) on small embedded systems.
• Background working with SoC or FPGA devices.

Benefits

• Platinum‑level family health coverage (medical, dental, vision)
• Health and dependent care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• Employer 401(k) contributions
• 20 days of paid time off / 10 paid holidays
• Paid parental leave
• Stock ownership plan
• Fully stocked kitchen

Pay Range

We provide market‑competitive compensation packages, inclusive of base pay, performance bonus, benefits, and equity. The pay range for this position is $142,113 to $186,063 including annual bonus. It’s atypical to be hired at the top end of this range directly out of college, as actual pay is based on several factors, including job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience level.

Equal Opportunity Employment

Vector Atomic is an equal opportunity employer and we welcome applications from all backgrounds regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, disability, or any other classification protected by law.

Recruiting Agency Policy

Vector Atomic does not accept unsolicited resumes from individual recruiters or third‑party recruiting agencies in response to job postings. No fee will be paid to third parties who submit unsolicited candidates directly to our hiring managers or HR team.