Software Engineer - Embedded/Firmware

Special Aerospace Services • Huntsville, AL

5h • $110,000 - $155,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Aurex Defense is seeking a talented and experienced Embedded Software Engineer / Firmware Engineer to join our team. You'll be at the forefront of developing low-level, mission-critical firmware and embedded software for next-generation avionics, spacecraft, aircraft, and robotic systems. This role requires deep technical expertise in microcontroller-based systems, real-time embedded development, and hands-on integration with flight and control hardware.

Requirements

• Only U.S. citizen with the ability to obtain a security clearance will be considered.
• Work in person at our corporate headquarters in Huntsville AL
• Minimum experience Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field with 3+ years of relevant embedded/firmware development experience or Master's degree or Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Embedded Systems, or relevant field with experience applying knowledge to real-world embedded hardware platforms
• 3+ years of hands-on experience developing firmware for microcontrollers in real-time embedded systems
• Expert-level proficiency in C for bare-metal and low-level embedded programming
• Strong experience with microcontroller peripherals, register-level programming, and hardware debugging tools
• Proven experience with hardware-in-the-loop development and testing on physical target hardware
• Deep understanding of embedded development workflows, including cross-compilation, flashing, and in-circuit debugging
• Excellent problem-solving skills and a hands-on approach to firmware troubleshooting on hardware
• Strong communication and collaboration skills

Nice To Haves

• Experience with PIC32 or similar Microchip microcontroller families
• Familiarity with safety-critical or high-reliability firmware development (e.g., MISRA guidelines)
• Experience with assembly for bare-metal and low-level embedded programming
• Experience in integrating firmware with Linux-based systems (e.g., device drivers, inter-processor communication)
• Knowledge of communication protocols common in avionics (e.g., ARINC 429, MIL-STD-1553, Ethernet)
• Experience with version control (Git), continuous integration, and automated testing for embedded systems

Responsibilities

• Collaborate closely with electrical engineers, systems engineers, and avionics software teams to define firmware requirements and ensure seamless hardware-software integration
• Design, develop, test, and deploy firmware for microcontrollers (e.g., PIC32, ARM Cortex-M, STM32) and embedded processors
• Implement low-level drivers, board support packages (BSPs), peripherals configuration, and interrupt handling
• Develop real-time control loops, sensor interfacing, actuator control, and communication protocol stacks (e.g., UART, SPI, I2C, CAN, RS-485)
• Perform hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing, debugging, and validation directly on target hardware using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and debuggers (JTAG/SWD)
• Optimize firmware for memory footprint, power consumption, execution speed, and deterministic real-time performance
• Implement bootloaders, fault handling, watchdog mechanisms, and basic safety features
• Support integration of embedded firmware with higher-level Linux-based avionics software running on Intel/ARM SBCs (e.g., NVIDIA Jetson Orin)
• Conduct unit testing, code reviews, and contribute to firmware documentation and release processes
• Troubleshoot and resolve issues in prototype and flight hardware

Benefits

• The opportunity to work on cutting-edge avionics, spacecraft, and robotics systems with real-world impact.
• A collaborative and fast-paced work environment with passionate engineers.
• Competitive salary and top-tier benefits package.
• Continuous learning and growth opportunities.

What This Job Offers

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