Job Title

Firmware Engineer

Job Description

This Firmware Engineer role focuses on developing firmware and connectivity software for advanced electronic and mechatronic products in the marine industry. You will contribute to the full software development lifecycle, from concept through production, creating safe, reliable, and innovative systems such as steer-by-wire, climate control, power management, and vessel control. Your work will directly enhance the comfort, safety, and ease of use of modern boating experiences around the world, with a robust emphasis on new product development for yacht and boat climate control systems similar to leading smart home devices.

Responsibilities

- Design, implement, and optimize firmware applications on target hardware platforms, ensuring robust functionality, performance, and reliability.
- Develop network connectivity and vessel integration solutions that combine and enhance functionalities across multiple onboard systems.
- Participate actively in code reviews to ensure correctness, maintainability, and adherence to established coding guidelines and best practices.
- Prepare clear and comprehensive technical documentation, including design specifications, test plans, and implementation details.
- Develop and execute unit tests, integration tests, and system-level tests to verify software functionality, performance, and stability.
- Collaborate closely with cross-functional teams, including electrical engineers, mechanical engineers, software developers, and product managers, to support successful product launches.
- Provide technical support to internal teams and external customers, including troubleshooting issues and delivering updated firmware to resolve field problems and improve product functionality.
- Contribute to new climate control product development for yachts and boats, focusing on embedded firmware for ARM Cortex microcontrollers using C and C++.
- Implement and refine serial communication interfaces such as SPI, I2C, UART, and CAN to ensure reliable communication between system components.
- Support continuous improvement of development processes by applying agile methodologies, version control, and issue tracking tools.

Essential Skills

- Bachelors degree or equivalent qualification in Electrical Engineering, Mechatronic Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
- Minimum 3 years of hands-on experience in embedded firmware development.
- Strong proficiency in firmware design, development, validation, and documentation for embedded systems.
- Excellent software design and programming skills in C and C++.
- Demonstrated development experience with 16/32-bit microcontrollers, particularly ARM Cortex-M devices.
- Practical experience working with serial communication protocols such as SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, and Ethernet.
- Experience in embedded C and embedded software development, including device driver implementation.
- Ability to perform unit testing and functional testing to validate firmware behavior and quality.
- Proficiency with engineering tools such as oscilloscopes, multimeters, and logic analyzers for debugging and validation.
- Familiarity with version control systems such as Git and issue tracking systems such as Jira.

Additional Skills & Qualifications

- Experience developing climate control or power control products, including HVAC or other environmental control systems, is a strong advantage.
- Motor control or PID control experience is a strong asset for managing actuators and complex control loops.
- Development experience with wireless communication protocols such as Wi-Fi, BLE, and TCP/IP is a plus.
- Familiarity with IoT protocols and platforms, for example MQTT and AWS IoT, is a plus.
- Experience working with real-time operating systems (RTOS) is highly beneficial.
- Working experience with agile development processes and methodologies is a strong asset.
- Python scripting experience for test automation or tooling is advantageous.
- Experience in operational, engineering, or manufacturing environments that involve complex electronic or mechatronic products is beneficial.

Work Environment

This role centers on developing firmware for innovative climate control products used on yachts and boats, comparable to modern smart home climate solutions. You will work in a collaborative, cross-functional engineering environment that emphasizes new product development and rapid iteration to meet strong market demand. The position involves close interaction with electrical, mechanical, and software teams, using modern embedded development tools, ARM Cortex-based platforms, serial communication interfaces, and standard engi

📌 Firmware Engineer (Richmond)
🏢 Actalent
📍 Richmond