Senior Firmware Engineer, Ground Software

Neros Technologies; New Mexico; On-site; USD 180,000 - 252,000; Full time

Job summary

Neros (defense technology) seeks a Senior Firmware Engineer for our Ground Software team to develop firmware for ground control hardware used by operators in the field. You will work across microcontroller and embedded Linux targets, owning latency and reliability of the operator’s control path from bench to battlefield.

You will bring up and debug new ground hardware with electrical engineering, write unit and integration tests, and collaborate on hardware-in-the-loop and field testing to

Qualifications

• Strong embedded C, C++, or Rust in resource-constrained environments; shipped firmware in the field.
• Real-time firmware experience: interrupts, DMA, timing budgets, and bugs under load.
• Hands-on board bring-up and hardware debugging with oscilloscopes and logic analyzers.
• Working knowledge of embedded interfaces: UART, SPI, I2C, USB, Ethernet.
• Track record of bringing firmware from first boot to production with limited direction.
• Test discipline for firmware critical to field operation.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain firmware for ground control hardware across microcontroller and embedded Linux targets
• Own operator input handling, the communication link to the aircraft, and telemetry and video receive on the ground side
• Own latency and reliability across the operator's control path, from input to transmission
• Define the ground side of the aircraft-to-ground interface with the flight software team, including behavior when the link degrades
• Bring up and debug new ground hardware alongside electrical engineering
• Write unit and integration tests for your firmware, partnering with our test organization on hardware-in-the-loop and field testing

Skills

C

C++

Rust

Real-time firmware

Board bring-up

Hardware debugging

UART

SPI

I2C

USB

Ethernet

Tools

Oscilloscopes

Logic analyzers

Job description

Who we are

Neros is a defense technology company rebuilding America’s drone industrial base. We design and manufacture high-performance unmanned systems that are tested in combat, iterated at startup speed, and built at massive scale. Our team culture is fast, hands-on, and obsessed with closing the gap between design and deployment.

As drones transform the character of warfare, Neros is delivering the systems the West needs to compete on the modern battlefield and deter the adversaries of democracy. We’re hiring engineers, operators, and builders who want to move fast, take on extreme ownership, and get capability into the hands of warfighters in months, not years.

What you will be doing

Neros builds drones for the modern battlefield. As a Senior Firmware Engineer on our Ground Software team, you will build the firmware that runs on our ground control hardware - the equipment operators hold in the field to fly the aircraft and see what it sees. You'll work across microcontroller and embedded Linux targets, own the latency and reliability of the operator's control path, and take your work from the bench to the field.

Responsibilities

• Design, build, and maintain firmware for ground control hardware across microcontroller and embedded Linux targets


• Own operator input handling, the communication link to the aircraft, and telemetry and video receive on the ground side


• Own latency and reliability across the operator's control path, from input to transmission


• Define the ground side of the aircraft-to-ground interface with the flight software team, including behavior when the link degrades


• Bring up and debug new ground hardware alongside electrical engineering


• Write unit and integration tests for your firmware, partnering with our test organization on hardware-in-the-loop and field testing

You should have the following

• Strong embedded C, C++, or Rust in resource-constrained environments — you have shipped firmware that runs on real hardware in the field


• Real-time firmware experience: interrupts, DMA, timing budgets, and the bugs that only show up under load


• Hands-on board bring-up and hardware debugging — oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and failures that don't reproduce in a debugger


• Working knowledge of embedded communication interfaces — UART, SPI, I2C, USB, Ethernet


• Track record of taking firmware from first boot to production with light direction


• Test discipline appropriate to firmware that people depend on in the field

Nice to have

• Embedded Linux — building services and device interfaces on an embedded Linux system; Yocto or Buildroot exposure


• Linux networking and IP-based radio or datalink integration


• Video pipelines on embedded hardware — capture, decode, display, latency


• RC radio or ground controller firmware — ExpressLRS, EdgeTX/OpenTX, or similar


• Experience moving a product from a microcontroller to an embedded Linux platform


• You fly — FPV, RC, or drones generally

US Salary Range

$180,000 – $252,000 USD

The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are considered part of Neros' total compensation package.

We’re an equal opportunity employer. We welcome all applicants without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.

Neros posts external titles (e.g., "Engineer II," "Senior I") to reflect true leveling and compensation, but internal titles never include level numbers — your internal title will be the base title only ("Engineer" or "Senior Engineer," as applicable).