Lead Firmware Engineer - C / BareMetals / RTOS / ARM / SPI / Irvine / EV / Onsite

Lead Firmware EngineerIrvine, CA Onsite Direct Hire $170k - $190kOur client located in Irvine CA, is a fast growing EV/AV charging company. They are urgently looking for a Lead/Senior Firmware Engineer to join the engineering team and support the design, development, integration, and release of embedded firmware for EV charging systems and related products. This role will be responsible for developing reliable production-quality firmware, supporting new feature development, debugging complex issues from lab and field environments, and collaborating closely with hardware, software, systems, and test teams.

This position requires a strong background in embedded systems, microcontroller-based firmware development, hardware interaction, and root cause analysis. The ideal candidate should be comfortable owning technical problems end to end, contributing to architecture and design discussions, and helping improve engineering quality and execution across the team.ResponsibilitiesDesign, develop, test, and maintain embedded firmware for charger controllers and related subsystemsDevelop firmware in C/C++ for microcontroller-based real-time systemsSupport low-level driver development and hardware interface integration, including CAN, UART, SPI, I2C, ADC, GPIO, and EthernetParticipating in board bring-up, hardware validation, and support of new hardware revisionsInvestigate and resolve issues identified during architecture, design, development, validation, customer escalations, and field deploymentsSupport implementation of diagnostics, fault handling, logging, bootloader, and firmware update mechanismsCollaborate with cross-functional teams including hardware, systems, Linux, POS, cloud/backend, and test engineeringParticipate in design reviews, code reviews, and release readiness activitiesContribute to firmware architecture, maintainability, and coding best practicesMentor junior engineers and provide technical guidance as neededCreate and maintain technical documentation related to firmware design, interfaces, and troubleshootingMust Have SkillsBachelor's degree in electrical engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field7+ years of experience in embedded firmware developmentStrong proficiency in C/C++ for embedded systemsExperience with microcontroller-based system design and real-time embedded developmentStrong understanding of hardware-software interaction and low-level debuggingExperience with common embedded communication protocols such as CAN, UART, SPI, I2C, and EthernetExperience using debugging and lab tools such as IDE, JTAG, debuggers, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and protocol analyzersExperience with version control systems such as GitStrong analytical, troubleshooting, and problem-solving skillsEffective communication skills and ability to work across teamsNice To Have SkillsExperience in EV charging, power electronics, industrial systems, automotive systems, or other embedded product environmentsExperience with RTOS-based embedded developmentFamiliarity with bootloaders, OTA updates, and firmware recovery mechanismsExperience supporting products through validation, release, and field deploymentFamiliarity with safety, fault management, and reliability-focused firmware designExperience mentoring junior engineers or leading technical workstreamsExposure to Linux-based embedded systems and system-level integrationKey CompetenciesStrong technical ownershipStructured debugging and root cause analysisCross-functional collaborationAttention to quality and reliabilityStrong written and verbal communicationAbility to mentor and support other team membersThe Offer170-190k base salary5-8% bonus401kFull benefits - Health, medical, dental2 weeks off over Christmas and New Years Paid10 PTOSpecializationLinux/UnixEmbeddedC++