Embedded Firmware Engineer

The Embedded Firmware Engineer role is a contract-to-hire position supporting the development, debugging, and ongoing support of embedded firmware for new hardware products. This hybrid role is based in Bellevue, WA and emphasizes hands-on hardware bring-up, embedded C development, peripheral integration, and validation on microcontroller-based systems.

Key Responsibilities

• Bring up and validate firmware on new hardware, including verifying power and clock operation, connecting and configuring debug interfaces, enabling peripherals, and establishing initial firmware functionality.
• Develop, integrate, and debug embedded C firmware for 32-bit ARM Cortex-M-class microcontrollers and similar architectures.
• Configure and communicate with companion integrated circuits and peripherals using I2C, SPI, UART, and other standard communication interfaces.
• Develop and debug USB-C and USB Power Delivery functionality, including power negotiation, source/sink roles, and fault handling.
• Perform bench-level debugging with oscilloscopes, multimeters, logic/protocol analyzers, SWD/JTAG debuggers, and UART logging.
• Analyze schematics, datasheets, register maps, and technical documentation to configure hardware devices and troubleshoot system-level issues.
• Collaborate with hardware engineers to isolate and resolve hardware versus firmware issues during board bring-up and product development.
• Develop and maintain board support packages, peripheral configurations, and required firmware integrations.
• Support firmware update and bootloader functionality, including development and deployment of firmware update images.
• Develop or support firmware for power-path and regulator control, including voltage monitoring, fault detection and recovery, enable sequencing, and related power-management functions.
• Document firmware configurations, implementation details, debugging activities, and design decisions to support product development and ongoing maintenance.
• Use version control and established software development practices to maintain firmware source code and support collaborative development.
• Support firmware integration, testing, troubleshooting, and verification throughout the product development lifecycle.
• Collaborate with engineering and cross-functional teams to identify technical issues, develop solutions, and support successful product development and production.
• Follow Business Technology policies to protect sensitive data and reduce information security occurrences.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or an equivalent technical discipline required.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience developing embedded firmware or equivalent engineering experience preferred.
• Strong proficiency in embedded C development for 32-bit microcontrollers, including interrupts, register-level peripheral programming, and development within flash and RAM constraints.
• Working knowledge of USB-C and USB Power Delivery concepts, including source/sink/dual-role behavior and power contract negotiation.
• Experience with I2C, SPI, UART, and other embedded communication interfaces, including device configuration and debugging.
• Hands-on experience with hardware bring-up, including taking new boards from initial power-on through functional firmware or debugging firmware against physical hardware.
• Strong ability to interpret schematics, datasheets, register tables, and hardware specifications to configure and troubleshoot embedded devices.
• Proficiency using standard embedded hardware debugging tools, including oscilloscopes, logic/protocol analyzers, multimeters, and SWD/JTAG debuggers.
• Experience using Git or similar version-control systems.

Tools and Technologies

• Embedded C, ARM Cortex-M, 32-bit microcontrollers
• I2C, SPI, UART
• USB-C, USB Power Delivery, power negotiation
• SWD, JTAG
• Oscilloscopes, multimeters, logic/protocol analyzers, UART logging
• Git, bootloader, DFU
• Microcontroller SDKs, IDE, middleware, board support package (BSP)
• Power-path, regulator control, power-management firmware, voltage monitoring, fault detection/recovery, enable sequencing

Contract Logistics

• Location: Bellevue, WA (hybrid)
• Job type: Contract
• Schedule on contract: Monday to Friday, day shift (hybrid, 3 days onsite)

Compensation

• USD 116.00 per hour
• The hourly range is an estimate based on factors including experience, education, training, skills, and business considerations; actual compensation may vary based on candidate qualifications and alignment with the role.

Benefits While on Contract

• Multiple options for medical insurance and dental insurance including some with FSA and HSA
• 401(k) with up to 4% company match
• 15-days of accrued PTO and 9 company paid holidays
• Quarterly bonus program
• Voluntary benefits: vision, long-term disability, and life insurance

Compliance Requirements

• ITAR: Permanent resident of the United States (“U.S. person” as defined by ITAR)
• Background: Pass a post-offer background verification

Work Environment

• Standard office environment with normal amounts of office-related conditions.
• Occasionally may be required to work in environmental conditions that emulate typical user environments to facilitate design testing and validation.
• Occasionally may be required to travel as required to other facilities, clients, or suppliers.

Additional Preferred Background

• Experience with microcontroller SDKs, IDEs, middleware, and board support package development preferred.
• Experience with firmware update mechanisms and bootloaders, including DFU or equivalent processes, preferred.
• Experience with power-path, regulator, or power-management firmware, including voltage monitoring, fault detection/recovery, and sequencing preferred.
• Experience with USB subsystems and related technologies such as hubs, alternate modes, signal conditioning devices, or related USB peripherals preferred.
• Experience with embedded software CI/build automation preferred.
• Familiarity with USB-IF requirements, USB-C specifications, or USB Power Delivery compliance testing preferred.