Staff/Lead Firmware Engineer

Connect Tech+Talent; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Connect Tech+Talent is seeking a Staff Firmware Engineer to add senior embedded firmware capacity on a small R&D team delivering a flagship IoT product. This is an individual contributor role with no people management expectations.

You will collaborate with the senior firmware engineer and a platform architecture advisor, drive firmware quality through design notes, ADRs, code reviews, tests, and CI for embedded systems, and eventually take broader ownership on follow-on product lines.

Qualifications

• Experience with embedded C/C++ and hardware debugging on MCU-based products.
• Proficiency with state-machine architectures (FSMs) and event-driven design.
• Knowledge of RTOS, bootloaders, low-power operation, and wireless interfaces.
• Experience with test automation, hardware-in-the-loop, unit tests, and CI for embedded.
• Mentorship to improve codebases without destabilizing delivery.

Responsibilities

• Support current-program firmware execution: state-pattern FSM, HAL boundaries, driver integration, prototype board bring-up, and firmware-test readiness.
• Partner with the existing senior firmware engineer on near-term delivery.
• Work with a senior firmware architecture advisor on platform standards, architecture review, release hygiene, and cross-team consistency.
• Grow into broader firmware ownership on follow-on product lines once the current foundation is stable.
• Bring disciplined embedded execution: Jira stories, design notes / ADRs, code reviews, tests, and early escalation.

Skills

Embedded C/C++

HW-adjacent debug

RTOS

Test automation

CI for embedded

Mentorship

Jira

Tools

Jira

Job description

We are hiring a Staff Firmware Engineer to add senior embedded firmware capacity and deep technical contribution on a small R&D team as we deliver a flagship next-generation IoT product and prepare follow-on platform work. This is an individual contributor role. There is no expectation to manage people or lead a firmware team.

This person will:

Support current-program firmware execution: state-pattern FSM, HAL boundaries, driver integration, prototype board bring-up, and firmware-test readiness.

Partner with the existing senior firmware engineer (program DRI) on near‑term delivery; the current DRI remains accountable while this person ramps.

Work with a senior firmware architecture advisor on platform standards, architecture review, release hygiene, and cross‑team consistency.

Grow into broader firmware ownership on follow‑on product lines once the current foundation is stable — as a senior IC, not as a people manager.

Bring disciplined embedded execution: Jira stories, design notes / ADRs, code reviews, tests, and early escalation.

Requirements

Embedded C/C++, HW‑adjacent debug, shipped product, test discipline, collaboration

State‑pattern FSM, hierarchical state machines, event‑driven architecture, embedded UI/menu systems HAL / driver architecture for MCU‑based products RTOS, watchdogs, bootloaders, firmware update, low‑power, BLE/USB/serial Radio / connectivity (big plus): GPS/GNSS, BLE, cellular modem, satellite modem, RF module integration Analog measurement (big plus): ADC, calibration, noise/drift, accuracy, data acquisition, DVM/instrumentation

Safety/reliability: logging, fault handling, recovery, release hygiene

Test automation, hardware‑in‑loop, unit tests, CI for embedded

Test & measurement, industrial instrumentation, power electronics, field equipment

Peer mentoring; improving existing codebases without destabilizing delivery