Senior Firmware Engineer- Terawave

Blue Origin LLC; Cupertino (CA); On-site; USD 230,000 - 323,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation provided

Medical, dental, vision insurance

401(k) with company match

Stock Options

Job summary

Blue Origin LLC is seeking an experienced firmware engineer to develop ROM code and run-time firmware for Digital Beamforming ASICs. The role collaborates with hardware and systems engineers to define interfaces and validate both pre- and post-silicon work for DBF ASICs.

Requirements include a 10+ year background in firmware development and C programming, with experience in low-level embedded code, debugging, and hardware interaction. Relocation provided and strong RTOS expertise are a plus.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in firmware development.
• Experience developing software in C.
• Experience writing software that directly controls hardware, such as firmware, kernel device drivers, or low-level embedded code.
• Experience debugging and validating embedded firmware and hardware/software interactions.

Responsibilities

• Develop ROM code and runtime firmware for Digital Beamforming (DBF) ASICs.
• Develop and support firmware for beam pointing, analog calibration, FEIC management, SerDes link management, secure boot, telemetry, and sideband control of DBF ASICs.
• Work closely with hardware and communications systems engineers to define and implement firmware and hardware interfaces.
• Support pre-silicon firmware development, integration, and validation.
• Support post-silicon bring-up, debugging, and validation of custom DBF ASICs.

Skills

Firmware development

C programming

Hardware interfacing

Debugging embedded systems

Mentoring engineers

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline

Tools

RTOS: FreeRTOS

RTOS: Zephyr

Cortex-M ISA

Pre-silicon simulation: QEMU/ZeBu/Palladium

DSP accelerators

Rust (no-std)

CI/HIL testing

Schematic/data sheet analysis

Job description

Job Description

At Blue Origin, we envision millions of people living and working in space for the benefit of Earth. We’re working to develop reusable, safe, and low-cost space vehicles and systems within a culture of safety, collaboration, and inclusion. Join our team of problem solvers as we add new chapters to the history of spaceflight! Blue Origin is pioneering the future of space-based communications with TeraWave, a revolutionary satellite communications network designed to deliver symmetrical data speeds of up to 6 Tbps anywhere on Earth. This multi-orbit constellation will consist of optically interconnected satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) and medium Earth orbit (MEO), providing enterprise-grade connectivity for critical operations worldwide.

Responsibilities

• Develop ROM code and runtime firmware for Digital Beamforming (DBF) ASICs.
• Develop and support firmware for beam pointing, analog calibration, FEIC management, SerDes link management, secure boot, telemetry, and sideband control of DBF ASICs.
• Work closely with hardware and communications systems engineers to define and implement firmware and hardware interfaces.
• Support pre-silicon firmware development, integration, and validation.
• Support post-silicon bring-up, debugging, and validation of custom DBF ASICs.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• 10+ years of experience in firmware development.
• Experience developing software in C.
• Experience writing software that directly controls hardware, such as firmware, kernel device drivers, or low-level embedded code.
• Experience debugging and validating embedded firmware and hardware/software interactions.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with RF and communications concepts such as OFDM, digital beamforming, phased antenna arrays, and 3GPP specifications.
• Experience leading and mentoring other engineers.
• Experience with RTOSes and hard real-time constraints, such as FreeRTOS or Zephyr.
• Experience with Cortex-M ISA.
• Experience working with DSP accelerators.
• Experience with Rust, especially no-std Rust.
• Experience with CI flows and automated hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing.
• Understanding of board-level hardware design, including the ability to work with schematics and data sheets.
• Experience testing firmware using pre-silicon simulation and emulation platforms such as QEMU, Palladium, or ZeBu.
• Experience with bring-up of custom silicon.

Special Mentions

• Relocation provided
• Interviews will include a technical assessment
• Base Pay Range for: CA applicants is $230,398.00 - $322,556.85 WA applicants is $230,398.00 - $322,556.85 Other site ranges may differ

Culture Statement

Don’t meet all desired requirements? Studies have shown that some people are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single desired qualification. At Blue Origin, we are dedicated to building an authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every desired qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.

Export Control Regulations

Applicants for employment at Blue Origin must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (i.e. current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Background Check

1. Blue’s Standard Background Check Required for Certain Job Profiles: Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS) background check if at any time the role requires one to be on a military installation.
2. Driver Qualification Files, Medical Certification, Road Test, Hours of Service, Drug and Alcohol Testing, vehicle inspection requirements, CDL requirements (if applicable) and hazardous materials transportation/shipping training.
3. Ability to obtain and maintain Merchant Mariner Credential, which includes pre-employment and random drug testing as well as DOT physical.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance
• Paid parental leave
• Short and long-term disability
• 401(k) with a company match of up to 5%
• Education Support Program
• Stock Options for all regular employees (working at least 20 hours/week)
• Paid Time Off: Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company-paid holidays.
• Dependent on role type and job level, employees may be eligible for benefits and bonuses based on the company's intent to reward individual contributions and enable them to share in the company's results, or other factors at the company's sole discretion.
• Bonus amounts and eligibility are not guaranteed and subject to change and cancellation.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Blue Origin is proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and is committed to attracting, retaining, and developing a highly qualified and dedicated work force. Blue Origin hires and promotes people on the basis of their qualifications, performance, and abilities. We support the establishment and maintenance of a workplace that fosters trust, equality, and teamwork. We provide all qualified applicants for employment and employees with equal opportunities for hire, promotion, and other terms and conditions of employment, regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin/ethnicity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic factors, military/veteran status, or any other status or characteristic protected by federal, state, and/or local law. Blue Origin will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws, including the Washington Fair Chance Act, the California Fair Chance Act, the Los Angeles Fair Chance in Hiring Ordinance, and other applicable laws. For more information on “Know Your Rights,” please see here. Affluent Action and Disability Accommodation Applicants wishing to receive information on Blue Origin’s affirmative Action Plans, or applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in the application and/or interview process, please contact us at [e-mail]. Please note this is a publicly managed inbox. Please do not include any personal medical information in your request. We’re committed to building the road to space so our children can build the future. We are a mission-driven company focused on ideas and innovation, and encourage fresh perspectives from bold voices. At Blue, our team is building the future as their unique selves.

Company Overview

Thank you for your interest in working at Blue Origin! Blue Origin was founded with a vision to enable a future where millions of people are living and working in space to benefit Earth. In order to preserve Earth, Blue Origin believes in the need to enable humanity to expand, explore, find new energy and material resources, and move industries that stress Earth into space. Blue Origin believes it has an important role in building a road to space and lowering the cost of getting there. At Blue Origin, we’re working on this today by developing fully reusable launch vehicles and systems that are safe, reliable and affordable. Every launch vehicle is designed for human spaceflight from the beginning and able to ferry payloads to space.