Embedded Firmware and Controls Engineer (Entry-Level / Intern)

Resurgent Industries • Austin, TX

2d

About The Position

We’re looking for an entry-level Embedded Firmware and Controls Engineer or Embedded Firmware and Controls Engineering Intern to join a small, fast-moving team designing and building large-scale industrial manufacturing equipment. The role works across the machine’s low-level firmware and motion control layer, from embedded code and control loops through hardware integration across a mixed PLC and custom electronics environment, with hands-on ownership from day one.

The engineer will support development and maintenance of embedded firmware for custom electronics, implement and tune motion-control systems, write PLC control logic, and help ensure deterministic and reliable machine-level control. The position involves troubleshooting across hardware, software, and system boundaries, documenting firmware and controls architecture, and working with build technicians and electrical and mechanical engineers to bring up and commission complete machine systems. The role also contributes to controls engineering standards and documentation practices as the function grows.

The company is a venture-backed manufacturing startup building automated production facilities in the United States. The role requires flexibility, self-direction, collaboration in a distributed team, and willingness to travel as needed for vendor visits, factory acceptance testing, and on-site equipment commissioning.

Requirements

• Pursuing or recently completed a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, mechatronics, or computer science from an ABET-accredited program.
• Relevant coursework or projects related to embedded systems, microcontrollers, real-time systems, or control theory.
• Programming experience in a language suited to embedded development, such as Rust, C++, C, or similar.
• Hands-on experience running code on real hardware, such as microcontroller development boards, sensors, actuators, or motors; simulation-only experience is insufficient.
• Hands-on bench-debugging ability and comfort with a multimeter, oscilloscope, and logic analyzer.
• Working knowledge of Git and version-control practices.
• Effective communication and collaboration skills in a distributed team environment, including comfort with asynchronous communication and remote-first workflows.
• Flexibility with schedule and hours and ability to thrive in a startup environment where priorities shift and urgency is real.
• Willingness to travel as needed for vendor visits, factory acceptance testing, and on-site equipment commissioning.
• Comfort with a startup pace, flexibility, self-direction, and a bias toward getting things done over waiting for perfect conditions.

Nice To Haves

• Prior industry internship or co-op experience; early-stage hard-tech or deep-tech startup experience is a major plus.
• Exposure to PLC programming in Structured Text or other IEC 61131-3 languages; Beckhoff TwinCAT or CODESYS is a plus.
• Motor-control or closed-loop-control project experience, such as servo, stepper, PID, or encoder-feedback work.
• RTOS exposure, such as FreeRTOS, Zephyr, or similar.
• Familiarity with embedded or industrial communication protocols such as EtherCAT, CAN, SPI, I2C, or UART.
• Leadership role on a student engineering team or competition project, such as FSAE, Baja, rocketry, or robotics.
• Prior experience on a small team where you wore multiple hats.

Responsibilities

• Support the development and maintenance of embedded firmware using modern languages and toolchains for custom electronics integrated into industrial manufacturing equipment.
• Implement and tune motion-control systems, including servo tuning, trajectory planning, and closed-loop control, alongside senior engineers.
• Write PLC control logic in Structured Text and integrate it with machine electrical and mechanical systems.
• Work within or alongside real-time operating environments to ensure deterministic, reliable control at the machine level.
• Troubleshoot control and firmware issues across hardware, software, and system boundaries, including logic analysis and live machine debugging on the shop floor.
• Generate and maintain firmware documentation, version-control practices, and controls-architecture documentation.
• Work alongside build technicians, electrical engineers, and mechanical engineers, including remote teammates, to bring up and commission complete machine systems.
• Contribute to controls-engineering standards and documentation practices as the function scales.
• Travel as needed for vendor visits, factory acceptance testing, and on-site equipment commissioning.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level