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Senior Firmware Engineer

External
helion logoHelion · Everett, WA
$200K–$236K/yrFull-timeOn-site6mo ago
Embedded SystemsGitLinuxPythonRTOS
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Responsibilities

  • You Will:
  • Develop, test, and maintain firmware for real-time embedded systems used in machine control and diagnostics.
  • Work closely with hardware and software engineers to translate system requirements into embedded designs.
  • 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.).
  • Design and refine embedded command interfaces, configuration utilities, and automated test frameworks.
  • Optimize performance, reliability, and timing synchronization across distributed embedded systems.
  • Contribute to continuous improvement of embedded toolchains, build systems, and test automation.
  • Rapidly prototype novel control and measurement concepts to support new machine architectures.
  • Collaborate across disciplines to ensure firmware integrates seamlessly with high-level software and data systems.
  • Required Skills:
  • BS or higher in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or Computer Science.
  • 8+ years of experience developing embedded systems in C, C++, and/or Rust.
  • Experience with real-time MCU development (bare metal or RTOS-based).
  • Strong understanding of digital communication protocols (UART, SPI, I²C).
  • Familiarity with mixed-signal circuit design and debugging using oscilloscopes, DMMs, and logic analyzers.
  • Experience with version control systems (Git).
  • Scripting experience in Python for automation, hardware bring-up, or testing.
  • Solid grasp of embedded systems fundamentals: power, timing, data, and memory budgets.
  • Experience developing and debugging on Linux-based systems.
  • #LI-Onsite #LI-KL1

Benefits

Our total compensation package includes benefits, including but not limited to:Medical, Dental, and Vision plans for employees and their families31 Days of PTO (21 vacation days and 10 sick days)10 Paid holidays, plus company-wide winter breakUp to 5% employer 401(k) matchShort term disability, long term disability, and life insurancePaid parental leave and support (up to 16 weeks)Annual wellness stipendDental insuranceVision insurance401(k)Paid time offParental leave

Additional Information

About Helion We are a fusion power company based in Everett, WA, with the mission to build the world's first fusion power plant, enabling a future with unlimited clean electricity. Our vision is a world with clean, reliable, and affordable energy for everyone. Since Helion's founding in 2013, we have raised over $1 billion from long-time investors such as Sam Altman, Mithril, and Capricorn Investment Group as well as new investors SoftBank and Lightspeed to propel us forward. Our last prototype, Trenta, completed 10,000 high-power pulses and reached plasma temperatures of 100 million degrees Celsius (9 keV). We are now operating Polaris, our next prototype on the path to the world's first fusion power plant. This is a pivotal time to join Helion. You will tackle real-world challenges with a team that prizes urgency, rigor, ownership, and a commitment to delivering hard truths - values essential to achieving what no one has before. Together, we will change the future of energy, because the world can't wait.

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