Senior Firmware Engineer
Boston, Massachusetts
Full Time
$120k - $180k
Our client is a fast-growing aerospace start-up that is revolutionizing how flight control and avionics software is developed, tested, and deployed in next-generation aircraft. Their team is composed of mission-driven engineers and scientists passionate about building high-assurance, high-performance flight software systems for modern aerospace vehicles — from unmanned aerial systems to orbital platforms.
They are seeking a Firmware Engineer to join their core engineering team to design, develop, and optimize embedded firmware that enables the real-time operation of our flight control and avionics software. This role will focus on developing low-level drivers, board bring-up, hardware abstraction layers, and real-time control logic for flight systems in high-reliability aerospace environments.
Key Responsibilities-  
Develop, test, and maintain embedded firmware for aerospace flight controllers, sensors, and avionics modules.
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Perform board bring-up and low-level driver development for microcontrollers, FPGAs, and aerospace-grade peripherals.
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Design real-time communication protocols (e.g., UART, CAN, SPI, I2C) and hardware abstraction layers for cross-platform compatibility.
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Collaborate with flight software, electrical, and mechanical engineering teams to integrate firmware with broader aircraft systems.
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Participate in hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation and system validation.
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Contribute to system-level requirements definition, design reviews, and fault-tolerant architecture planning.
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Ensure code meets rigorous standards for safety, determinism, and traceability required in aerospace and flight applications.
 
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Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
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3+ years of experience developing embedded firmware in C/C++ for real-time systems.
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Experience with bare-metal and RTOS-based development (e.g., FreeRTOS, Zephyr, VxWorks).
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Proficiency in hardware bring-up, debugging tools (e.g., JTAG, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers), and lab testing.
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Familiarity with aerospace-grade microcontrollers (e.g., ARM Cortex-M, TI Hercules, Microchip) and sensor integration.
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Strong understanding of real-time constraints, timing analysis, and deterministic system behavior.
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Experience with version control systems (e.g., Git), continuous integration, and embedded software testing practices.
 
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Experience with DO-178C, ARINC 653, or other aerospace certification standards.
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Knowledge of fault detection, redundancy, and safety-critical firmware architectures.
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Exposure to flight software stacks, flight dynamics, or autopilot systems.
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Familiarity with simulation and HIL test frameworks for aerospace applications.
 
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The opportunity to shape the firmware foundation of cutting-edge aerospace platforms.
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A collaborative, high-trust startup environment where innovation and technical excellence are celebrated.
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Competitive compensation, equity, and benefits package.
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Flexible work hours and location (on-site, hybrid, or remote depending on role).
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The chance to work on meaningful projects that push the boundaries of flight technology.