Senior Staff Firmware EngineerSoftware Engineering * Berkeley, CA * Full time *

Form Energy
Berkeley, United States of America
12 days ago

Role details

Contract type
Permanent contract
Employment type
Full-time (> 32 hours)
Working hours
Regular working hours
Languages
English
Experience level
Senior
Compensation
$ 223K

Job location

Berkeley, United States of America

Tech stack

Unit Testing
Booting (BIOS)
C++
Capability Maturity Model Integration
Code Generation
Software Quality
Communications Protocols
Computer Engineering
Continuous Delivery
Embedded C
Firmware
Hardware Interface Design
Matlab
MISRA C (C Programming Language)
Modbus
Real-Time Operating Systems
ISO/IEC 15504
Simulink
Software Licensing Audit
Multithreading
Model-Driven Development
State Machines
Production Code
Bare Metal

Job description

Form Energy is hiring a Senior Staff Firmware Engineer to lead real-time control firmware for power conversion and to drive development of the battery management and control system for our multi-day storage battery system. You will define the control architecture, implement embedded C and C++ on production hardware, apply model-based design and code generation, and drive certification readiness and fleet-scale reliability. This role sits within Firmware Engineering and partners closely with Software, Power Electronics, Safety, and Manufacturing Test., * Work with an interdisciplinary group of engineers on the Systems Team to define concepts, down-select designs, and optimize the new groundbreaking technology

  • Derive software and hardware specifications and design features based on product requirements to meet UL 1998 and UL 5500 standards
  • Translate grid code and safety requirements into testable features and acceptance tests, and author compliance matrices and test plans
  • Define DC/DC operating envelopes with Power Electronics, covering bidirectional control, battery interface dynamics, current limiting, protection coordination, and thermal derate behaviors
  • Own closed loop digital control for DC/DC stages, including current, voltage, and power loops, observers, PLL, droop, P/Q and V/f modes, soft start, protections, and derates
  • Architect firmware for safety with clear state machines, fault detection and recovery, black start and islanding detection, restart policies, and strong diagnosability
  • Develop microcontroller firmware for embedded systems, sensors, and power flow control circuitry for our Battery Management System (BMS)
  • Contribute to the unit and integration testing suite, and coordinate with the system and test team, to allow continuous delivery of high-quality firmware
  • Lead SIL and HIL strategy and execution, model plants in MATLAB and Simulink, build automated regressions, correlate HIL to bench and field data, and gate releases on quantitative criteria
  • Drive EMC and pre compliance through design reviews, mitigation guidance, and lab testing
  • Adhere to and raise the bar on the firmware engineering processes and best practices
  • Mentor senior engineers, set bars for code quality and design reviews, and improve processes for continuous delivery of high quality firmware
  • Support product deployment and field activities, including troubleshooting and debugging firmware in field environments to ensure performance and reliability

Requirements

  • Master's degree in electrical engineering, computer engineering, or a related field
  • 10 to 15 plus years of firmware experience for embedded and RTOS systems for battery management and/or power electronics
  • Extensive experience using C or C++ for embedded systems in real-time, multithreaded control applications
  • Strong embedded fundamentals including bare-metal or RTOS, fixed-point math, interrupt-driven control, unit tests, and HIL regressions
  • Expert knowledge of power control algorithms and digital control design for power converters including PWM generation, current and voltage loops, observers, filters, and stability analysis
  • Proficiency in model-based design and plant modeling using MATLAB or Simulink, PLECS, PSIM, or similar with traceability to production code
  • Knowledge of peripheral communication protocols such as I2C and SPI, and industrial protocols such as Modbus and CAN
  • Electrical engineering depth including reading schematics, troubleshooting hardware interfaces, and working knowledge of gate drivers, sensors, protections, EMC, thermal, and safe bring-up
  • Lab proficiency using oscilloscopes, power analyzers, electronic loads, and safe high-power test practices
  • Familiarity with software compliance standards (e.g., MISRA, ISO 26262, CMMI, ASPICE, or UL 1998) is a plus
  • Experience implementing secure bootloaders and OTA updates with signing and encryption is a plus
  • Excellent collaboration strength and technical leadership cross functional influence, design reviews, mentoring, and external lab engagement, and written communication skills
  • Preferred familiarity with grid codes and certification workflows for inverter-based resources

Benefits & conditions

Humanity is a cornerstone of Form Energy's culture, and we make sure our compensation and benefits reflect that. Form Energy offers competitive salaries, stock options, and a holistic benefits package to ensure all employees have what they need to thrive while working here.

When it comes to you and your family's health, we cover 100% of medical, dental, and vision premiums for full-time employees - and 80% of healthcare premiums for dependents. This starts from day one. We also offer at least 12 weeks of paid leave for new parents (up to 20 weeks for birthing parents), and generous vacation policies to give employees time to recharge when needed.

About the company

Are you ready to build America's energy future? Form Energy is an American manufacturing and energy technology company. We're revolutionizing energy storage with cost-effective, multi-day technology designed to keep the electric grid secure and reliable, even during extended periods of stress. By strengthening the electric system and reimagining what's possible, we're giving clean energy a whole new form! In recent years, Form Energy has earned a number of accolades, including being named by TIME as a "Best Invention", MIT Technology Review as a "Top Climate Tech Company To Watch", and Fast Company as "One of the Next Big Things In Tech". We are making rapid progress on our mission of delivering energy storage for a better world, and our team is growing just as rapidly to meet demand. We have signed contracts with leading electric utilities across the United States and production of our iron-air batteries is underway at our first high-volume manufacturing facility in West Virginia. Working for Form Energy is more than just a job, it's a chance to be part of something extraordinary. And now - right as we significantly scale up battery manufacturing - might be the most exciting moment in the company's history to join. We are assembling a team of highly talented and driven individuals across the country. Driven by our core values of humanity, excellence, and creativity, our team is determined to deliver on our mission and transform the energy landscape for the better. Feeling energized to make a meaningful impact on the world? Then keep reading - you've come to the right place.

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