Sr. Electronics & Firmware Engineer

CNPC USA
Houston, TX, United States
3 months ago

Role details

Contract type
Permanent contract
Employment type
Full-time (> 32 hours)
Experience level
Expert
Experience required
5 years minimum
Working hours
Regular working hours
Job source

Tech stack

Automation of Tests C++ (Programming Language) Computer Engineering Software Debugging Digital Electronics Embedded Software Firmware Performance Tuning Schematic Capture Systems Integration

Job description

CNPC USA is seeking a highly experienced Senior Electronics & Firmware Engineer to lead the design, development, and qualification of high-temperature electronics and embedded firmware for MWD/LWD systems. This position is a key technical role responsible for downhole electronic architecture, high-temperature circuit design, power management, sensor interfacing, and electronics reliability in extreme drilling environments., * Design, develop, and validate electrical and electronic systems for MWD downhole tools and surface support equipment.

  • Develop, test, and debug embedded firmware for microcontroller, microprocessor, or DSP-based systems used in downhole measurement and telemetry applications.
  • Design and evaluate analog and digital circuitry, including signal conditioning, power distribution, sensor interfaces, and communication interfaces.
  • Support the development of ruggedized electronics for high-temperature, high-shock, high-vibration downhole environments.
  • Participate in system integration, troubleshooting, root-cause analysis, and performance optimization of tool electronics and firmware.
  • Define and execute design verification, qualification, reliability, and environmental test programs.
  • Support manufacturing test, engineering test setups, and service quality assurance for product release and sustainment.
  • Work closely with mechanical, firmware, test, operations, and field teams to improve tool reliability and field performance.
  • Contribute to documentation including schematics, interface definitions, test procedures, failure analysis reports, and design records.
  • Support field failures and product sustainment, including investigation of telemetry, sensor, and electronics issues., This position has no direct supervisory responsibilities, however, it does act as a mentor and point of contact for less experienced engineers.

Requirements

The ideal candidate will have hands-on experience developing electronics rated 175 °C (preferably up to 200 °C) for MWD/LWD tools, with a strong understanding of downhole constraints such as shock, vibration, pressure, and thermal cycling. This role will directly support technology maturation from concept through field deployment and commercialization., * Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Embedded Systems, or related discipline.

  • 5+ years of experience in electronics and embedded firmware development; for lead-level roles.
  • Hands-on experience with embedded firmware development in C/C++ for MCU, MPU, or DSP-based systems.
  • Strong knowledge of analog and digital circuit design, schematic capture, component selection, and board-level debugging.
  • Experience with signal conditioning, communication interfaces, power electronics/power distribution, and hardware-software integration.
  • Experience developing products for harsh environments, ideally including downhole, oilfield, aerospace, defense, or industrial ruggedized systems.
  • Familiarity with laboratory validation tools such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, environmental test setups, and automated test methods.
  • Strong troubleshooting and root-cause analysis capability for mixed hardware/firmware systems..

Preferred Experience:

  • Experience with MWD/LWD, mud-pulse telemetry, EM telemetry, directional drilling tools, or downhole sensors.
  • Familiarity with high-temperature electronics, shock/vibration survivability, and pressure-compensated or sealed downhole systems.
  • Experience with manufacturing test systems, qualification testing, and product commercialization.
  • Knowledge of sensor integration, downhole measurement systems, and embedded diagnostics.
  • Prior experience supporting both new product development and sustaining engineering for deployed tools.., While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. This is a sedentary role; however, some filing, bending and the ability to lift 20lbs is required.

About the company

CNPC USA is a subsidiary of China National Petroleum Company and serves as the North American headquarters. Our mission is to drive innovation through advanced research and development of next-generation technologies for oil and gas exploration and production.

Apply for this position

This job is hosted externally. Click below to view the full posting and apply.

Apply on indeed.com

Good distractions

Talks and stories from around this role — technically off-topic, practically not.

2:08 min

Understanding the role of trees and functional rules

Stanimira Vlaeva · LIVE

3:06 min

Moving from basic embedded software to system functionalities

Réka Leisztner Réka Leisztner · WWC 2025

2:19 min

Orchestrating over-the-air firmware updates for vehicle modules

Denis Grahovac · WWC 2021

1:20 min

Identifying multi-disciplinary talent for developer experience engineering roles

Hazal Mestci +1 · Coffee With Developers

3:51 min

Technical skills and collaborative mindsets for mobility engineering roles

Georg Kühberger +1 · LIVE

1:14 min

Addressing automotive mission-critical safety in embedded software development

David Romić · WWC 2023

Videos

See all

Related articles

See all