Embedded Software Engineer - Firmware & Motion Control

SQ4D•Town of Riverhead, NY

5d•$70,000 - $90,000

About The Position

SQ4D is a construction technology company developing advanced robotic systems for concrete 3D printing. Its Autonomous Robotic Construction System (ARCS) combines large-scale robotics, automation, software, motion control, and material delivery systems. The Embedded Software Engineer will work with the engineering team to understand and customize Duet firmware, troubleshoot software and hardware interactions, and develop capabilities for construction 3D printers. This hands-on role involves working close to hardware and translating software improvements into measurable performance gains in physical machines. The engineer will help establish a robust, well-documented, maintainable firmware platform for increasingly sophisticated robotic construction equipment. Success includes independently understanding the existing Duet codebase, diagnosing firmware issues, implementing and validating improvements, and collaborating with engineering teammates to deliver reliable machine functionality. The role also maintains and extends SQ4D’s operator interface, a Vue.js/TypeScript fork of Duet Web Control, along with its automated build and deployment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Science, Robotics, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
Demonstrated experience developing or modifying embedded software and firmware.
Proficiency in C and C++.
Working knowledge of JavaScript/TypeScript and Python.
Experience navigating, debugging, and contributing to an existing software codebase.
Familiarity with Git and structured software development workflows.
Strong debugging and analytical skills, including the ability to isolate complex software issues.
Ability to work across software and hardware boundaries and systematically troubleshoot physical systems.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience with RepRapFirmware and Duet controllers.
Experience with Vue.js or another front-end framework and HTTP/REST APIs.
Experience with 3D printer control systems, CNC machines, robotics, or industrial automation.
Familiarity with G-code interpretation, motion planning, kinematics, and stepper motor control.
Familiarity with Ethernet communication.
Experience with hardware debugging tools such as serial consoles, logic analyzers, or oscilloscopes.
Experience maintaining a customized fork of an open-source software project.
Familiarity with automated testing, continuous integration, and software release management.

Responsibilities

Analyze, modify, and extend Duet firmware for SQ4D’s specialized robotic construction equipment.
Develop custom firmware features, commands, and machine-control functionality.
Investigate firmware architecture, dependencies, and execution flows to improve system behavior.
Debug software defects, resolve unexpected machine behavior, and improve code reliability and maintainability.
Evaluate upstream firmware updates and integrate relevant improvements while preserving SQ4D-specific customizations.
Develop and optimize firmware for coordinated motion, motor control, homing, positioning, and machine initialization.
Investigate interactions between firmware, motor drivers, encoders, sensors, and other connected hardware.
Improve the execution and reliability of G-code commands, macros, and custom machine operations.
Troubleshoot timing, synchronization, communication, and motion issues in an industrial environment.
Maintain a structured Git-based workflow, including branching, code reviews, testing, and release management.
Write clean, documented, maintainable code and contribute to software architecture decisions.
Develop unit tests, integration tests, and debugging tools to validate firmware changes.
Document firmware modifications, configuration changes, known issues, and release procedures.
Maintain and extend SQ4D’s Vue.js/TypeScript operator-interface fork of Duet Web Control and its automated build and deployment.
Reproduce and diagnose firmware issues through code analysis, logs, controlled experiments, and hardware testing.
Collaborate with electrical, mechanical, automation, and manufacturing engineers to resolve system-level problems.
Validate firmware changes on physical ARCS machines before deployment.
Identify opportunities to improve system stability, responsiveness, fault handling, and error recovery.
Contribute to the development of a more autonomous, intelligent, and reliable robotic construction platform.