Principal Firmware Engineer

Boston Engineering Corporation•Waltham, MA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Boston Engineering is seeking a Principal Firmware Engineer for an onsite, office-based role in Waltham, Massachusetts. The work is primarily embedded and firmware-focused, involving RTOS-based systems, hardware bring-up, driver development, board-level debugging, and close collaboration with electrical and mechanical teams. The role is hands-on: the engineer will design, code, debug, integrate, and solve technical problems alongside the engineering team. The Principal Firmware Engineer owns embedded software at tactical and strategic levels. This includes ensuring systems are architected appropriately, identifying risks early, and helping unblock the broader team. The role also sets technical direction, improves and documents software processes, establishes best practices, and mentors engineers. Time is allocated approximately 40% to hands-on firmware development and debugging, 30% to systems design, 15% to integration, manufacturing, and production support, and 15% to mentoring, reviews, and process improvement. The position is restricted to US persons because it involves access to export-controlled technology. Proof of status is required before employment. Candidates must currently live within commuting distance of Waltham; relocation assistance is unavailable. Minimal travel is expected. The role reports to the Director, Software Engineering. The annual base salary range is $150,000–$175,000, depending on experience and qualifications. A benefits package includes health insurance, a 401(k) match, and paid time off.

Requirements

At least 7 years of embedded or firmware development experience, including at least 3 years in a senior or technical lead role.
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
Strong C and C++ experience for embedded systems and Python experience for tooling or testing.
Hands-on RTOS experience, such as FreeRTOS, ROS2, Zephyr, or similar.
Experience with STM32, ARM-based MCUs/SoCs, x86, PIC32, or similar.
Experience with I2C, SPI, UART, Ethernet, GPIO, and other low-level interfaces.
Experience with Git, embedded development tools, build systems, and debugging environments.
Experience authoring and reviewing software requirements, specifications, and design documentation.
Experience leading technical and design reviews.
Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance.
Must be a US person, with proof of status required before employment.
Must currently reside within commuting distance of Waltham, Massachusetts.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree.
Experience with maritime systems, robotics, uncrewed systems, or military platforms.
Experience with navigation, localization, sensor fusion, or autonomy systems.
Experience debugging networking stacks and board-level communication issues.
Familiarity with CI/CD pipelines, ISO 9001, or CMMI quality frameworks.
Experience in customer-driven R&D and product development environments.
Proposal development, feasibility studies, or early-stage technical concepts.
AI, machine learning, or computer vision applied to embedded or robotic systems.
Safety-critical or mission-critical software development experience.
Experience with government or defense-related programs.
Experience with Agile, DevOps, or quality management systems.

Responsibilities

Lead the design, development, and optimization of embedded and firmware systems.
Write and review RTOS-based firmware using FreeRTOS, ROS2, Zephyr, or similar technologies.
Architect firmware integrated with custom hardware, sensors, and control systems.
Develop firmware, device drivers, and communication stacks.
Review schematics and PCB layouts to identify firmware impacts and integration risks.
Debug complex software, firmware, and hardware issues using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, protocol analyzers, and other bench tools.
Build and maintain benchtop development setups (“roadkills”) for early firmware development.
Lead technical design reviews, architecture discussions, and roadmap planning.
Serve as the technical escalation point when embedded or system-level issues block progress.
Mentor engineers on firmware architecture, debugging, and best practices.
Break down ambiguous problems into executable engineering plans.
Support development workflows, integration, manufacturing, and transition to production.
Communicate technical concepts, tradeoffs, risks, and status to engineering and non-engineering stakeholders.
Improve and document software processes and establish best practices.