Firmware Engineer I

About Orion Edge

We are an agile, early-stage startup in a rapid growth phase, developing next-generation electronic warfare (EW) and digital disruption equipment. Our mission is to deliver cutting-edge capabilities to the modern warfighter at speed. Orion Edge is currently delivering systems to the US Army and USSOCOM, and we are scaling quickly to support the broader Department of Defense (DoD). If you thrive in a fast-paced environment where your work directly impacts national security and you have the opportunity to scale your career with a growing company, you belong here.

Position Overview

As a Firmware Engineer at Orion Edge, you will bridge the gap between complex hardware and mission-critical software. You will design, implement, and deploy firmware that powers our next-generation electronic warfare and digital disruption systems. This is a highly collaborative, full-stack hardware/software role where you will work closely with electrical, mechanical, and FPGA engineers to bring cutting-edge defense technologies to life.

If you are a methodical problem solver who loves board bring-ups, digging into registers, and pushing resource-constrained hardware to its absolute limits, we want to hear from you.

Education Requirements

• Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science (with a low-level/systems focus), or a closely related technical field.

Key Responsibilities

• Architect & Implement: Write clean, modular, and highly optimized C code for bare-metal and RTOS-based embedded systems from the ground up.

• Hardware/Software Co-Design: Collaborate closely with the hardware team on board bring-up, PCB debugging, and hardware-software integration for newly designed boards.

• SoC & FPGA Integration: Interface firmware with programmable logic and FPGA designs (Verilog/VHDL), ensuring seamless data flow and control across SoC boundaries.

• Control Systems: Implement and tune real-time control loops on target microcontrollers and processors.

• Testing & Automation: Build robust hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing workflows and automation scripts to validate system reliability.

• Documentation: Create clear theory-of-operation write-ups, register maps, and architectural documentation for internal and external stakeholders.

Required Skills & Experience

• Embedded Software Expertise: Proficiency in C for embedded systems, with a proven track record of architecting and implementing firmware from scratch in bare-metal and RTOS environments.

• Computer Architecture Fundamentals: Deep understanding of memory management (stack/heap, DMA, caches, memory-mapped I/O), interrupt handling, timers, and peripheral interaction on resource-constrained platforms.

• FPGA & SoC Development: Hands-on experience with FPGA design (Verilog or VHDL; Vivado or comparable toolchains), specifically targeting SoC platforms where firmware and programmable logic closely interact.

• Real-Time Control: Familiarity with control systems theory and implementing real-time control loops on hardware targets.

• Standard Protocols: Deep working knowledge of embedded communication protocols, including UART, SPI, I2C, CAN, and Ethernet (TCP/UDP).

• Hardware Debugging: Strong root-cause analysis skills utilizing SWD/JTAG debuggers, logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, and multimeter tools to debug both software and hardware integration anomalies.

• Embedded Linux: Proficiency in Linux environments, including shell scripting, cross-compilation toolchains, and working knowledge of kernel-level concepts (device trees, drivers, kernel modules, and user/kernel space boundaries).

• Electronics Competency: Ability to read electrical schematics and datasheets, independently prototype circuits on breadboards, and safely operate standard lab equipment.

• AI-Assisted Development: Experience utilizing AI tools to accelerate development velocity, coupled with the critical engineering judgment to review, verify, test, and own the final code.

• Engineering Rigor: Highly proficient with Git and modern software development practices (disciplined version control, thorough code reviews, and structured documentation).

Preferred Qualifications

• Robotics Frameworks: Experience with ROS/ROS 2, especially integrating embedded microcontrollers with higher-level robotics and autonomy systems.

• RTOS Ecosystems: Experience with RTOS scheduling, synchronization primitives, and interrupt-safe design patterns using FreeRTOS, Zephyr, or similar RTOS platforms.

• Flash & Bootloaders: Experience writing custom bootloaders, managing flash memory, and implementing secure firmware update mechanisms (DFU/OTA).

• Python Mastery: Strong Python skills for writing test harnesses, automation tools, and parsing telemetry data.

• DevOps for Hardware: Experience setting up CI/CD pipelines for embedded targets and automated hardware testing infrastructure.

Professional Attributes

• Systems-Level Thinker: You thrive working across the entire stack-from register-level bit manipulation to Linux userspace applications and physical electronics.

• Methodical Troubleshooter: You approach complex system failures with a calm, step-by-step logic, finding the root cause rather than treating the symptoms.

• Clear Communicator: You translate complex technical realities into clear documentation, clean code comments, and collaborative design discussions.

• Self-Directed & Resourceful: You don't need hand-holding. You can grab a datasheet, spin up a toolchain, and build a working prototype with minimal direction.

• Rapid Learner: You possess the intellectual curiosity and agility to quickly adapt to new hardware platforms, programming languages, and domains.

• Highly Collaborative: You enjoy working at the interface of multiple engineering disciplines, treating hardware and mechanical teams as your closest partners.