Senior Staff Firmware Engineer

Boston Dynamics, Inc.; Waltham (MA); On-site; USD 160,000 - 200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision

401(k)

Paid time off

Annual bonus structure

Job summary

Boston Dynamics, Inc. in Waltham, MA is seeking a Senior Staff Firmware Engineer to join the Atlas team. You will design, develop, and deliver firmware for advanced humanoid robots across the full lifecycle, from concept to production.

The role requires strong C and C++ skills, deep embedded systems knowledge, RTOS, and hands-on work with STM32 or similar microcontrollers. You will mentor junior engineers and contribute to documentation, while collaborating with hardware teams and advancing

Qualifications

• 7+ years of proven experience driving firmware development through the full lifecycle.
• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• Strong programming skills in C and C++.
• Deep understanding of embedded systems concepts, including RTOS, memory management, and state machines.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and implement firmware for embedded systems for a wide variety of components.
• Write clean, efficient, well-tested and maintainable code in C and C++.
• Drive firmware development through the full lifecycle, including requirements analysis, design, implementation, testing, and deployment.
• Collaborate with hardware engineers to define hardware/software interfaces and ensure seamless integration.
• Participate in code reviews and contribute to improving the team's development processes.
• Stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in embedded systems and firmware development.
• Contribute to the creation and maintenance of technical documentation.
• Mentor junior engineers and share your expertise.

Skills

C programming

C++ programming

Embedded firmware development

RTOS concepts

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science/Engineering

Tools

Oscilloscopes

Logic analyzers

Debuggers

STM32 microcontrollers

Job description

About the Role

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Senior Staff Firmware Engineer to join the Atlas team at Boston Dynamics. In this role, you will play a critical part in designing, developing, and delivering cutting‑edge firmware solutions for advanced humanoid robots. You will be involved in the full firmware development lifecycle, from concept to production, and will have the opportunity to work on challenging projects with a talented team of engineers.

Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and implement firmware for embedded systems for a wide variety of components.
• Write clean, efficient, well‑tested and maintainable code in C and C++.
• Drive firmware development through the full lifecycle, including requirements analysis, design, implementation, testing, and deployment.
• Collaborate with hardware engineers to define hardware/software interfaces and ensure seamless integration.
• Participate in code reviews and contribute to improving the team's development processes.
• Stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in embedded systems and firmware development.
• Contribute to the creation and maintenance of technical documentation.
• Mentor junior engineers and share your expertise.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• 7+ years of proven experience driving firmware development through the full lifecycle.
• Strong programming skills in C and C++.
• Deep understanding of embedded systems concepts, including numerical representation, memory management, state machines, and real‑time operating systems (RTOS).
• Hands‑on experience with microcontrollers, particularly STM32 or similar architectures.
• Proficiency in using basic embedded development tools and test equipment (e.g., oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, debuggers).
• Excellent debugging and problem‑solving skills with a strong analytical mindset.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with motor control software and actuator systems.
• Experience with Aurix microcontroller architecture.
• Knowledge of functional safety standards and verification techniques (e.g., IEC 61508).
• Familiarity with cybersecurity concepts and best practices for embedded systems.
• Experience with FPGA development using Verilog or VHDL.

We are interested in every qualified candidate who is eligible to work in the United States. However, we are not able to sponsor visas for this position.

The base pay range for this position is between $160,000 to $200,000 annually. Base pay will depend on multiple individualized factors including, but not limited to internal equity, job related knowledge, skills and experience. This range represents a good faith estimate of compensation at the time of posting.

Boston Dynamics offers a generous Benefits package including medical, dental vision, 401(k), paid time off and a annual bonus structure. Additional details regarding these benefit plans will be provided if an employee receives an offer for employment.

We are growing rapidly, building a commercial company that delivers cutting edge technology and solutions to our customers from industrial applications to logistics and warehouse solutions.