Firmware Engineer

The role

You will design and build software spanning embedded drivers, device communications, backend services, data pipelines, and operator-facing interfaces. You will collaborate with hardware engineers to develop software that controls and monitors physical systems deployed in the field.

What you will do

• Design and build software spanning embedded drivers, device communications, backend services, data pipelines, and operator-facing interfaces
• Develop the network communication and driver layers that power site controllers and distributed energy resources
• Build and maintain automated data pipelines for utility interval data analysis and real-time energy monitoring
• Collaborate with hardware engineers to develop and iterate on embedded system designs
• Help architect systems that are reliable, observable, maintainable, and deployable across physically distributed sites
• Participate in hardware bring-up, field testing, commissioning, and debugging of deployed systems
• Own features from initial design through deployment and field validation

Required qualifications

• Proficiency in one or more systems programming languages, such as C, C++, or Rust
• Experience with a higher-level language used for services, automation, or data processing, such as Python or Go
• Experience writing firmware, drivers, or hardware-facing software for embedded targets
• Comfort working close to hardware, including reading schematics, debugging over serial or JTAG, and reasoning about timing and electrical behavior
• Experience building backend services and APIs, ideally for real-time, distributed, or telemetry-driven systems
• Ability to take ownership of ambiguous problems and operate with minimal oversight in a fast-moving startup environment

Nice to have

• Familiarity with industrial protocols such as Modbus, DNP3, or CAN bus
• Experience with SCADA systems, distributed energy resources, or industrial controls
• Experience with battery energy storage systems, inverters, power conversion equipment, or other grid-edge hardware
• Background in aerospace, defense, robotics, automotive, or other safety-critical embedded domains
• Exposure to machine learning, signal processing, controls, or data analysis in a hardware context
• A degree in physics, computer engineering, electrical engineering, or a related technical discipline

Benefits

• Equity ownership through stock options
• Comprehensive health coverage (medical, dental, and vision) through an HRA with a generous allowance
• Retirement savings plan
• Unlimited paid time off

Before you apply

• Critical Loop does not provide visa sponsorship for this role
• Please do not apply if at any time you will need immigration support

About the company

Critical Loop is shaping the next generation of energy systems by building the integrated edge grid of the future. They specialize in advanced energy management and battery control systems.