Embedded Firmware and Controls Engineer
Posted 3 months ago
About Us
We are a venture-backed manufacturing startup building the most advanced automated production facilities in the United States. We are on a mission to make American manufacturing economically viable — through intelligent machinery, automation, and a relentless focus on execution.
We are early, we are moving fast, and we are looking for exceptional people who want to build something that matters.
Role Summary
We're looking for an Embedded Firmware and Controls Engineer to join a small, fast-moving team building large-scale industrial manufacturing equipment. This role owns the low-level firmware and motion control layer of the machine — writing embedded code, developing control loops, and integrating software with hardware across a mixed PLC and custom electronics environment.
Responsibilities
Develop and maintain embedded firmware using modern languages and toolchains for custom electronics integrated into industrial manufacturing equipment
Design and implement motion control systems, including servo tuning, trajectory planning, and closed-loop control
Write PLC control logic in Structured Text and integrate with machine electrical and mechanical systems
Work within or alongside real-time operating environments, ensuring deterministic, reliable control at the machine level
Troubleshoot control and firmware issues across hardware, software, and system boundaries — from logic analysis to live machine debug on the shop floor
Generate and maintain firmware documentation, version control practices, and controls architecture documentation
Work directly alongside build technicians, electrical engineers, and mechanical engineers — including remote teammates — to bring up and commission complete machine systems
Contribute to controls engineering standards and documentation practices as the function scales
Preferred Experience
4+ years of embedded firmware or controls engineering experience in a hands-on, build-oriented environment
Proficiency in modern embedded programming languages and toolchains appropriate for real-time, resource-constrained systems
Experience with motion control systems — servo drives, encoder feedback, closed-loop tuning
Familiarity with RTOS concepts and deterministic control architectures
Experience writing PLC control logic in Structured Text or equivalent IEC 61131-3 languages
Strong troubleshooting skills across firmware, controls, and hardware — comfortable diagnosing issues from the logic level down to the component level
Comfortable generating professional controls documentation — architecture diagrams, I/O lists, state machine definitions
Effective communicator and collaborator in a distributed team environment — comfortable with async communication and remote-first workflows
Flexible with schedule and hours; thrives in a startup environment where priorities shift and urgency is real
Nice to Have
Experience with Beckhoff TwinCAT PLC platform
Experience at an early-stage hard tech or deep tech startup
Prior experience on a small team where you wore multiple hats
Exposure to high-speed or high-power industrial machinery
Any prior team lead or mentorship experience
Additional
Willingness to travel as needed for vendor visits, factory acceptance testing, and on-site equipment commissioning
Comfort with a startup pace — this role demands flexibility, self-direction, and a bias toward getting things done over waiting for perfect conditions
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