Lead, Firmware Engineering

ORBCOMM • Sterling, VA

4h • $130,000 - $150,000 • Onsite

About The Position

ORBCOMM is seeking a hands-on Lead, Firmware Engineering to lead the design, development, and delivery of embedded firmware for our advanced connected products. This role combines strong technical contribution with people leadership, requiring the ability to guide and grow a high-performing team while actively participating in architecture, development, and system-level problem solving.

The ideal candidate is a technical leader who thrives in a fast-paced, mission-critical environment and is passionate about building reliable, scalable, and low-power embedded solutions.

This role is based out of our Ottawa, Ontario hub or our Sterling, VA hub and working full-time on-site. With an on-site working schedule, you’ll have the opportunity to collaborate in person and build strong connections with our team.

Requirements

• 8–12+ years of experience in embedded firmware development
• 2+ years of technical leadership or people management experience
• Expert-levelproficiencyin C programming
• Extensive experience with ARM-based microcontrollers
• Strong experience with real-time operating systems (e.g.,FreeRTOS) and bare-metal systems
• Deep knowledge of communication protocols: TCP/IP, UART/RS232, RS485, I2C, SPI, BLE
• Strong experience with STM32 microcontrollers (or similar platforms)
• Proven ability to interpret hardware schematics and perform advanced debugging using oscilloscopes and logic analyzers
• Experience with Git, CI/CD workflows, and issue tracking tools (e.g., Jira)
• Strong system-level thinking and architectural skills
• Excellent communication, planning, and stakeholder management skills
• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or related field (preferred)
• Leverage AI-enabled tools and automation to support daily tasks and productivity.
• Commitment to continuous learning in digital and AI literacy.

Nice To Haves

• Python for automation, test infrastructure, or engineering productivity
• Experience with connected/IoT products and high-availability systems
• Experience driving firmware processes, coding standards, and development frameworks

Responsibilities

• Lead the architecture, design, and development of embedded firmware for ORBCOMM’s proprietary products.
• Act as a hands-on contributor in firmware development, debugging, and system bring-up.
• Translate product and system requirements into technical roadmaps, task breakdowns, and execution plans.
• Drive high-quality code through design reviews, code reviews, and best practices.
• Oversee firmware integration, validation, and release to ensure reliability and performance.
• Guideimplementation and optimization of low-power algorithms.
• Lead complex system-level debugging, including field and customer issues.
• Lead, mentor, and grow a team of firmware engineers, including performance management and career development.
• Foster a collaborative, accountable, and innovation-driven engineering culture.
• Manage project priorities, resource allocation, and schedules to meet delivery commitments.
• Recruit, onboard, andretaintop firmware engineering talent.
• Provide technical coaching and support for junior and senior team members.
• Work closely with hardware, cloud, QA, operations, and product management teams to ensure successful product delivery.
• Contribute to system architecture and technology decisions across the organization.
• Communicate status, risks, and technical strategies to senior leadership.

Benefits

• A career with ORBCOMM offers a unique opportunity to grow your skills and expand your expertise in a collaborative, innovative environment.
• Beyond being part of an exceptional team, we provide a competitive, locally relevant benefits package designed to support our employees around the world.
• Benefits vary by location and include health and wellness coverage, paid time off, retirement or savings programs, flexible work arrangements, insurance coverage, lifestyle perks, and access to employee discounts—helping you thrive both professionally and personally.

What This Job Offers

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