Title: Embedded Software Engineer
Quick Summary
Redwood Microtech is hiring an Embedded Software Engineer to design, implement, and test firmware for ARM-based boards powering connected sensors and edge devices. The role spans RTOS and Embedded Linux, device drivers, board bring-up, power optimization, and automated testing. We welcome capable entry-level applicants and recent graduates alongside experienced engineers who enjoy mentoring, lab work, and delivering reliable code to production hardware.
Project Category or Industry
IoT and edge computing for industrial sensing, smart energy, and connected consumer devices
Type
Full-time employment
Experience Level
Entry-level to mid-level. We offer structured mentorship for freshers with strong C/C++ fundamentals, microcontroller projects, or internship experience, while encouraging experienced engineers to lead by example.
Duration
Permanent role
Location
Hybrid: remote with scheduled lab days in Austin, TX and Munich, DE. Minimum 4-hour overlap with 08:00–18:00 CET or CT preferred for hardware access and test windows.
Salary
USD 80,000–125,000 base depending on location and experience, plus annual bonus and benefits (health coverage, retirement plan, paid parental leave, equipment stipend).
Payment Mode
Monthly payroll via bank transfer; contractor arrangements available where local employment is not supported.
Hiring Company Name
Redwood Microtech
Required Skills or Tools
Candidates should demonstrate fluency in C (and some C++), a solid grasp of MCU fundamentals (interrupts, timers, DMA), and familiarity with RTOS concepts or Embedded Linux user space. Practical knowledge of common buses (I²C, SPI, UART), bootloaders and OTA update flows, low-power techniques, and debugging with oscilloscopes and logic analyzers is important. Clear, concise documentation and disciplined version control habits are essential.
Project Details
Project Description
You will help build the firmware platform and application code for a new family of low-power, connected sensor modules used in industrial and smart energy deployments. The work includes board bring-up with silicon vendor SDKs, writing drivers and HALs for sensors and radios, implementing secure communication stacks, and creating a robust OTA and diagnostics pipeline. The purpose is to deliver firmware that boots quickly, sleeps efficiently, recovers safely, and provides trustworthy data to cloud services.
Core Responsibilities and Expected Deliverables
Bring up new boards: clock trees, pinmux, power rails, boot configuration, and peripheral initialization with documented checklists.
Implement and maintain drivers for sensors, storage, radios (BLE/LTE-M/Wi-Fi), and security elements; write clear, unit-tested HAL layers.
Build RTOS tasks or Linux user-space services with well-defined interfaces, message queues, and watchdog strategies.
Optimize power and performance using sleep states, DMA, and event-driven designs; provide profiling reports and energy budgets.
Implement secure boot, key provisioning, encrypted storage, and signed OTA update flows with rollback protections.
Create automated tests for unit, integration, and hardware-in-the-loop; keep CI green and artifacts reproducible.
Produce release notes, bring-up guides, and troubleshooting runbooks; support manufacturing test scripts as products scale.
Required Experience and Preferred Qualifications
Strong C required; C++ for modules where appropriate; basic Python for tooling and test harnesses.
Experience with at least one MCU family (STM32, nRF52/53, NXP i.MX RT, ESP32) or Embedded Linux on ARM (Yocto/Buildroot).
Understanding of cryptography at the integration level (secure boot, TLS, HSM/ATECC); comfort reading datasheets and schematics.
Preferred: FreeRTOS or Zephyr, modem stacks (LTE-M/NB-IoT), BLE GATT, MQTT/CoAP, and familiarity with safety or compliance (CE/FCC).
Nice to have: exposure to Rust for embedded, CAN or RS-485 field buses, and manufacturing test automation.
Tools or Platforms to Be Used
Toolchains and build: GCC/clang, CMake, vendor SDKs, Yocto or Buildroot for Linux targets
Debug and measurement: SWD/JTAG, GDB/OpenOCD, RTT/ITM, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, power profilers (e.g., Monsoon/PPK2)
Connectivity and security: mbedTLS/WolfSSL, secure elements (ATECC608), bootloaders (MCUBoot), OTA services
CI and collaboration: Git, GitHub/GitLab, Jenkins or GitHub Actions, TestRail for test management, Jira/Confluence for tracking and docs
Language Requirement
English is required for day-to-day collaboration; German is a plus for Munich lab coordination but not required.
Communication Style
Asynchronous-first via Slack and Git with weekly Zoom stand-ups and lab syncs. Design notes, datasheet excerpts, and decision records are maintained in Confluence; code reviews occur through pull requests with mandatory checklists for safety-critical changes.
Time Commitment or Working Window
Approximately 40 hours per week with flexible scheduling. Lab days are planned 1–3 times per sprint for board access, instrument time, and environmental tests; remote participation is supported with video capture and recorded traces.
Payment Terms
Monthly salary with annual performance review and bonus eligibility. Contractor engagements follow milestone-based deliverables with biweekly invoicing and net-15 terms.
Evaluation Criteria
Short take-home focused on a sensor driver or state machine with unit tests and clear assumptions
Live debugging session interpreting traces and logic analyzer captures
Code review discussion covering safety, portability, and testability
Communication clarity, ownership, and reliability validated through references
Other Requirements
Standard NDA upon offer acceptance, identity verification, and reference checks compliant with local laws. Lab safety training is required for on-site work; some roles may require export-control screening based on project assignments. Light-touch time tracking for contractors supports accurate invoicing and traceability.
About the Company
Redwood Microtech is a hardware-software company focused on dependable embedded platforms for sensing and edge computing. Founded in 2017, we pair rigorous engineering with practical product thinking to ship devices that run for years in the field. Our teams operate across North America and Europe with labs in Austin and Munich. Learn more at https://redwoodmicrotech.com or contact careers@redwoodmicrotech.com.