Firmware Engineer

I'm recruiting on behalf of a pioneering European space technology startup developing advanced electric propulsion systems. They are looking for a Firmware Engineer with a strong low-level, bare-metal focus to work at the intersection of hardware and software.

This role is ideal for someone who enjoys working close to the metal, understands real-world electronic behaviour, and is comfortable moving between datasheets, registers, embedded C, and lab instrumentation.

The Role

You'll be responsible for developing robust, efficient firmware that directly interfaces with microcontrollers and hardware peripherals. Working closely with electronics engineers, you'll help validate hardware, solve integration challenges, and ensure firmware behaviour aligns precisely with hardware constraints.

This is a hands-on role in an environment where firmware and hardware are deeply interconnected and technical ownership is high.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop bare-metal firmware, including low-level drivers and register-level peripheral configuration
• Interpret datasheets, technical reference manuals, block diagrams, and schematics
• Configure and debug MCU peripherals (timers, GPIO, ADC/DAC, DMA, watchdogs, PWM, etc.)
• Implement and verify communication protocols such as I²C, SPI, UART
• Use MCU toolchains such as STM32CubeIDE, MPLAB X, Code Composer Studio, or similar
• Debug using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and SWD/JTAG
• Collaborate closely with the electronics team on HW/FW integration and validation
• Support integration with higher-level software layers when required

• 3+ years of proven experience in bare-metal firmware development
• Strong ability to read and understand datasheets, register maps, and schematics
• Solid embedded C programming skills
• Hands-on debugging experience with oscilloscopes and logic analyzers
• Practical knowledge of I²C, SPI, UART, PWM, GPIO
• Experience with common MCU development environments
• Professional English proficiency

NICE TO HAVE

• Personal firmware or electronics projects (GitHub, custom hardware, etc.)
• Embedded C++ experience
• Git and good version-control practices
• Familiarity with Make, CMake, or similar build systems
• Experience with FreeRTOS or another RTOS
• Basic Linux knowledge (CLI, scripting, embedded concepts)
• Ability to review schematics using tools like Altium or KiCad

• Work on real space hardware in a high-impact engineering role
• Strong autonomy and technical ownership
• Hybrid working model and flexible hours
• Well-structured benefits, learning budget, and private health cover
• Join a small, highly technical team shaping next-generation propulsion systems