Embedded Firmware & Controls Engineer

SLB•Houston, TX

About The Position

Develop embedded software and control solutions for high-performance electromechanical systems operating in demanding environments. The role spans real-time embedded firmware development and motor/control-system engineering, from algorithm development through implementation, integration, and validation. The position involves firmware development for microcontrollers, DSPs, or similar platforms; development of real-time motor-control algorithms; and integration of firmware and controls with power electronics, motors, sensors, actuators, and communication systems. The engineer collaborates across engineering disciplines, analyzes test results and system failures, and supports design reviews, verification and validation, qualification, reliability testing, and product introduction.

Requirements

Strong embedded C/C++ development experience for real-time systems.
Hands-on firmware development experience on microcontrollers, DSPs, or similar embedded processors.
Strong understanding of embedded software architecture, interrupts, timers, ADCs, PWM, memory, peripheral interfaces, and real-time execution.
Strong understanding of feedback control systems and real-time control implementation.
Hands-on experience with PMSM, BLDC, or similar electric motor control.
Strong understanding of field-oriented control, current and torque regulation, speed control, PWM, and inverter operation.
Experience implementing and tuning control algorithms on embedded hardware.
Good understanding of electric machines, power electronics, sensors, signal conditioning, and embedded hardware interfaces.
Experience debugging integrated hardware, firmware, and control-system issues.
Ability to analyze measured data and translate test results into firmware and control improvements.
Strong system-level problem-solving skills and ability to work across firmware, controls, electronics, motors, and mechanical systems.

Nice To Haves

Experience with sensorless motor-control techniques and low-speed motor control.
Experience with MATLAB/Simulink or similar control modeling and simulation tools.
Experience with RTOS architecture and real-time scheduling.
Experience with hardware-in-the-loop and automated embedded-system testing.
Experience with bootloaders, firmware update mechanisms, diagnostics, and embedded data logging.
Familiarity with software configuration management, code reviews, CI/CD, and embedded coding standards.
Experience with high-reliability, industrial, automotive, aerospace, energy, or other harsh-environment embedded systems.

Responsibilities

Develop real-time embedded firmware in C/C++ for microcontrollers, DSPs, or similar platforms.
Develop firmware architecture, hardware abstraction layers, device drivers, and peripheral interfaces.
Implement scheduling, state machines, diagnostics, fault handling, protection, and recovery logic.
Develop and integrate communication interfaces and protocols, including CAN, SPI, I2C, UART, and RS-485.
Work with RTOS-based and bare-metal embedded systems.
Develop configuration, calibration, data logging, boot, and firmware update functionality.
Develop unit and integration tests and support structured firmware verification and validation.
Debug hardware and firmware using debuggers, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, protocol analyzers, and other laboratory equipment.
Develop, implement, and tune real-time control algorithms for electric motor drives and electromechanical systems.
Implement field-oriented control, current regulation, torque control, speed control, PWM, and related motor-control functions.
Develop startup and sensorless control methods and transitions between control modes.
Develop control strategies for high starting torque, low-speed operation, stall, stall recovery, and load transients.
Analyze control-loop stability, dynamic response, system limitations, and performance margins.
Develop simulation and analytical models to support control design and system optimization.
Correlate control models and expected behavior with measured test data.
Tune and validate control performance through bench, dynamometer, hardware-in-the-loop, and system-level testing.
Integrate embedded firmware and controls with power electronics, electric motors, sensors, actuators, and communication systems.
Collaborate with electrical, power electronics, mechanical, systems, and test engineers to optimize system performance.
Define firmware and control requirements, interfaces, operating states, verification criteria, and V&V test cases.
Analyze system and test data, investigate failures, identify root causes, and implement corrective improvements.
Support design reviews, system integration, qualification, reliability testing, and product introduction.