Communication Protocols Developer (m/f/d)

Company Overview
NACOS Marine delivers advanced navigation, automation, and control systems for vessels worldwide. Our integrated solutions help ship owners and operators improve safety, efficiency, and sustainability at sea. With proven reliability, innovative technology, and dedicated support, we enable smarter maritime operations. Let’s shape the future of maritime technology together.

Role Overview
We are seeking an experienced Communication Protocols Developer (m/f/d) to join our R&D team developing the next generation of marine automation systems.
In this role, you will design, implement, and validate the communication infrastructure that connects embedded controllers and operator systems across safety-critical marine automation networks. Working as part of a strategic development program, you will develop secure, high-performance communication solutions while ensuring reliable real-time data exchange across our automation platform.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, develop, and maintain communication architectures using both proprietary and industry-standard protocols for embedded and real-time systems
• Implement and optimize network-level and application-layer protocol stacks, including UDP, Multicast, TCP/IP, OPC-UA, Modbus, and MQTT
• Develop transport, session, and application layer functionality, including state machines, framing, parsing, and error handling
• Define and maintain secure OT network architectures in line with maritime cybersecurity requirements and relevant industry standards
• Evaluate commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) products and technologies for integration into the NACOS Marine product portfolio
• Define protocol specifications, sequence diagrams, state charts, packet formats, and interface documentation
• Optimize communication performance for timing, latency, throughput, and real-time operation
• Develop and maintain unit tests, integration tests, protocol validation, and automated test environments
• Debug communication interfaces using protocol analyzers, logic analyzers, bus sniffers, packet capture tools, and trace logs
• Produce and maintain technical documentation throughout the software development lifecycle and collaborate closely with software, hardware, QA, and system engineering teams

Key Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field
• Minimum 5 years of experience developing and debugging communication protocol stacks for embedded or real-time systems
• Strong proficiency in C/C++ and implementing communication protocols on resource-constrained embedded platforms
• Proven experience with network protocols such as UDP, TCP/IP, Multicast, OPC-UA, Modbus, MQTT, or similar industrial communication technologies
• Experience designing secure OT network architectures, including encrypted communication, certificate management, and secure transport protocols
• Working knowledge of industrial cybersecurity standards such as IEC 62443-3-3 and IEC 61162-460
• Hands-on experience using protocol analyzers, Wireshark, logic analyzers, bus sniffers, and similar debugging tools
• Strong analytical, documentation, and problem-solving skills with a structured and methodical approach
• Excellent communication skills and ability to collaborate across multidisciplinary and international teams
• Passion for communication technologies, cybersecurity, emerging protocols, and AI-assisted software development
• Fluent in English, both written and spoken

Why choose us and why we'd choose you?
At NACOS Marine, you will help build the communication backbone of our next-generation marine automation platform. You will work on cutting-edge technologies alongside experienced international engineering teams, developing secure and reliable communication solutions that support vessels operating around the world.
We value technical excellence, innovation, and collaboration, and we're looking for someone who enjoys solving complex communication challenges while contributing to the future of maritime automation.