Associate Firmware Engineer

IonQ•Pleasanton, CA

4d•$107,458 - $154,089•Onsite

About The Position

We're looking for exceptional early-career engineers to grow with us. As an Associate Firmware Engineer, you'll work alongside world-class physicists and hardware engineers to build embedded software for next-generation quantum sensing instruments. This is a hands-on, high-impact role where your code directly enables precision measurement at the frontier of quantum technology. If you've just completed a degree from a top engineering program and want to do work that matters, not CRUD apps, but real-time control systems running inside instruments that measure the universe, this is your role.

Requirements

Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science from an accredited program, we're targeting graduates from highly rated programs with strong fundamentals
Demonstrated ability to write production-quality C/C++ for small embedded processors
Experience writing interrupt service routines, peripheral drivers, and multi-threaded firmware using RTOSs and/or bare-metal environments
Scripting experience in Python, Perl, or similar languages
Hands-on experience with lab test equipment (oscilloscopes, function generators, voltmeters)
Strong debugging instincts, able to isolate and resolve bugs using debuggers and simulation tools
Comfort working in a laboratory setting
To comply with the US export control laws, Vector Atomic employees must be U.S. citizens (born or naturalized), lawful U.S. permanent residents (i.e. green card holders), and certain categories of refugees, and asylees.

Nice To Haves

Experience designing PID or other control algorithms
Familiarity with fixed-point arithmetic and digital filter design
Experience with communication protocols: TCP, UDP, UART, SPI, I2C, or similar
Assembly language programming for embedded targets
Experience with lightweight Ethernet stacks (e.g., lwIP)
Background with SoC or FPGA devices

Responsibilities

Write and verify embedded firmware for ST microcontrollers, including COTS devices and MCUs integrated into custom ASICs
Implement control algorithms critical to the operation of high-precision quantum sensing instruments
Develop peripheral drivers for mixed-signal devices, working directly from electronic schematics
Partner with hardware engineers on board testing and bring-up activities
Contribute to a rigorous engineering culture through code reviews, GitHub task tickets, and retrospectives
Clearly document and communicate your work in a highly collaborative, cross-disciplinary environment