Senior Firmware & Embedded Systems Engineer [Team Leader]
Houston, TX
Electrical, Hardware, & Embedded /
Full-time /
On-site
ENGINEERS WANTED for hazardous journey. Small wages, high voltages, long hours of difficult technical work, safe career choice doubtful. Riches and Glory in case of success.
JOB DESCRIPTION
Join Fleetzero’s embedded systems team in Houston, TX, to lead R&D and production of next-generation maritime technology. As a Senior Firmware & Embedded Systems Engineer, you’ll spearhead the development of low-level firmware and software for critical vessel systems, driving innovation in a highly iterative environment that prioritizes early and frequent testing over traditional linear or waterfall methods. You’ll take ownership of projects, mentor team members, and integrate closely with electrical engineers to shape robust, high-performance solutions for autonomous, electric, and hybrid vessels.
Responsibilities
- Lead the development of firmware for embedded systems operating in harsh and demanding marine environments.
- Own projects from inception through testing iterations, prototype manufacturing, and field testing, emphasizing a test-early, test-often approach.
- Design and implement embedded firmware in C/C++ for microcontrollers (ARM, Cortex-M/STM32, NXP, TI) in bare metal and RTOS environments.
- Architect reusable device drivers, integrate system-level features, and lead changes to support Fleetzero’s codebase.
- Write and oversee hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) tests, perform hardware bring-up tests, and develop bootloaders and secure update systems.
- Lead schematic reviews with the hardware team, guiding component selection and system architecture.
- Mentor engineers to ensure high-quality code and system designs.
Qualifications
- Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or equivalent experience; advanced degree preferred.
- 7+ years of experience in firmware and embedded systems development, with a proven track record in safety-critical applications (marine, automotive, or aerospace preferred).
- Strong C/C++ coding ability for embedded development in RTOS or bare metal environments.
- Deep background in control theory, digital signal processing, and functional safety standards.
- Extensive experience with common bus protocols such as USB, SPI, I2C, CAN, RS232, RS485, Ethernet, etc.
- Advanced understanding and application of coding best practices, board bring-up, and debugging for complex systems.
- Proven ability to lead projects and mentor teams in high-stakes environments.
- Comfort taking independent initiative and collaborating with highly motivated engineers.
Bonus Qualifications
- Competition experience (FSAE, robotics) demonstrating a drive for exceptional performance.
- Experience with Rust, Assembly, Ada/SPARK.
- Experience with one or more microcontroller cores.
- Not afraid to write code, push, test, fail, fix, and move on.
$125,000 - $225,000 a year
All roles are expected to include intermittent or occasional travel as the business needs.
The salary range for this role is an estimate based on a wide range of compensation factors, inclusive of base salary only. Actual salary offer may vary based on (but not limited to) work experience, education and/or training, critical skills, and/or business considerations. Highly competitive equity grants are included in most full time offers and are considered part of Fleetzero's total compensation package.
Fleetzero does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, religion, age, national origin, marital status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other reason prohibited by law in provision of employment opportunities and benefits.
