Firmware Engineer

Overview

Develop and maintain real-time embedded firmware for fusion power control systems.

Key Responsibilities

• rapid prototyping
• toolchain dev
• test automation
• board bring-up
• protocol stack
• firmware development

Tasks

-Rapidly prototype novel control and measurement concepts to support new machine architectures. -Contribute to continuous improvement of embedded toolchains, build systems, and test automation. -Design and refine embedded command interfaces, configuration utilities, and automated test frameworks. -Collaborate across disciplines to ensure firmware integrates seamlessly with high-level software and data systems. -Bring up new boards, sensors, and actuators — debugging with oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and JTAG interfaces. -Implement and maintain low-level communication protocols (UART, SPI, I²C, CAN, EtherCAT, etc.). -Optimize performance, reliability, and timing synchronization across distributed embedded systems. -Work closely with hardware and software engineers to translate system requirements into embedded designs. -Develop, test, and maintain firmware for real-time embedded systems used in machine control and diagnostics.

Requirements

• fpgas
• python
• linux
• git
• c++
• bs

What You Bring

-Familiarity with FPGAs, Verilog/VHDL, or soft-core processor design. -Scripting experience in Python for automation, hardware bring-up, or testing. -Experience developing and debugging on Linux-based systems. -Experience with real-time MCU development (bare metal or RTOS-based). -Knowledge of SCADA or PLC systems for large-scale control architectures. -Familiarity with test automation frameworks or CI/CD pipelines for firmware. -Strong understanding of digital communication protocols (UART, SPI, I²C). -Experience with Ethernet, EtherCAT, CAN, or other real-time industrial communication protocols. -Experience with time synchronization protocols (PTP/IEEE 1588, White Rabbit, etc). -Experience with version control systems (Git). -2–5 years of experience developing embedded systems in C, C++, and/or Rust. -Solid grasp of embedded systems fundamentals: power, timing, data, and memory budgets. -Background in precision sensing, power electronics, or distributed control systems. -BS or higher in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science. -Familiarity with mixed-signal circuit design and debugging using oscilloscopes, DMMs, and logic analyzers.

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Benefits

-Paid parental leave and support (up to 16 weeks) -Medical, Dental, and Vision plans for employees and their families -Short term disability, long term disability, and life insurance -Up to 5% employer 401(k) match -31 Days of PTO (21 vacation days and 10 sick days) -Annual wellness stipend -10 Paid holidays, plus company-wide winter break

About Helion

-Pursues a bold vision: taming the power of stars on Earth through fusion energy. -Develops magneto-inertial fusion technology, merging plasma at extreme speeds and capturing energy directly. -Pioneers in aneutronic fusion, recycling byproducts to generate helium-3, a sustainable fuel source. -Shifts from lab-scale to industrial-scale fusion with the Polaris device, supported by legal agreements. -Aims for rapid iteration with reactor designs capable of one pulse per second, enabling modular fusion systems.

Sector Specialisms