Embedded Software Engineer

Embedded Firmware Engineer (Contract-to-hire)

Sigma Design has collaborated with a leading defense technology company seeking an experienced Embedded Firmware Engineer to join their facility in Bellevue, WA. This company specializes in autonomous systems and next-generation defense technologies. This position is contract to hire and hybrid.

While on contract you are eligible for:

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

Monday - Friday, day shift (hybrid, 3 days onsite)

$116.00 an hour. The hourly range for this role is an estimate based on multiple factors, including experience, education, training, skills, and business considerations. Actual compensation may vary based on the candidate’s qualifications and alignment with the role

Primary Function:

The Embedded Firmware Engineer is responsible for developing, debugging, and supporting embedded firmware for new hardware products throughout the product development lifecycle. This role focuses on hardware bring-up, embedded C development, peripheral and device integration, and hands-on debugging of firmware running on microcontroller-based systems. The Embedded Firmware Engineer works closely with hardware and cross-functional engineering teams to bring new designs from initial power-on through production-ready firmware.

Essential Job Functions - 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 hands-on bench-level debugging using 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 issuesCollaborate closely 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 firmware integrations as required

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

Education and Experience: (Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities)

Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or an equivalent technical discipline required

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

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

Strong analytical, troubleshooting, problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills

Ability to work effectively in a hands-on engineering environment and collaborate closely with hardware and firmware engineers

Compliance (background check, ITAR, vaccine, etc.)

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 in order to facilitate design testing and validation. Occasionally may be required to travel as required to other facilities, clients, or suppliers.

Sigma Design is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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