Junior Firmware/Controls Engineer
20 hours ago
San Diego
SubSeaSail, Inc. is seeking a motivated Junior Firmware / Controls Engineer to support embedded firmware development, controls implementation, hardware integration, bench testing, and field validation for autonomous maritime systems. This role works under the direction of senior engineering leadership and contributes to practical, hands-on development across microcontrollers, sensors, actuators, real-time control systems, and prototype hardware. The ideal candidate brings strong technical fundamentals, careful debugging habits, and a willingness to work in an evolving startup engineering environment where priorities, hardware configurations, and test conditions may change quickly. Location: San Diego, CA / On-site Schedule: Full-time (40 hrs/wk) Travel: Up to 10% Reports to: Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Works closely with: Senior firmware, systems, electrical, mechanical, autonomy, and engineering team members Status: Full-Time, Hourly, Non-Exempt Pay & Benefits Hourly Wage Range: $30.00 - $40.00 per hour Overtime: Eligible for overtime in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local wage-and-hour requirements Equity/Options: Eligible for stock options or other long-term incentive consideration, subject to company approval and applicable plan documents Benefits: Medical insurance; paid time off (vacation/holidays); paid sick leave in accordance with applicable California and local law; and other benefits per company policy What You'll Do • Develop, modify, test, and document embedded firmware in C/C++ for microcontrollers and related control subsystems., • Support implementation and tuning of closed-loop control algorithms for sail, rudder, thruster, actuator, and other vehicle control functions., • Integrate and validate sensors and peripherals such as IMUs, GPS/GNSS, encoders, pressure transducers, serial devices, CAN-bus devices, and related hardware interfaces., • Support hardware bring-up, bench testing, troubleshooting, and validation of PCB assemblies, electro-mechanical subsystems, and prototype hardware., • Assist with unit testing, hardware-in-the-loop testing, test scripts, interface documentation, and firmware behavior documentation., • Collaborate with electrical, mechanical, autonomy, and systems team members to define interfaces, troubleshoot integration issues, and support iterative product development., • Participate in on-water testing, sea trials, and field-test activities as needed, including real-time fault investigation and follow-up corrective actions., • Use version control and contribute to code review, configuration control, documentation, and change tracking processes., • Maintain accurate notes, test results, issue logs, and technical records to support engineering continuity, customer requirements, and compliance expectations. Education & Experience Requirements Education Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, Computer Science, or a closely related technical field, or equivalent practical experience. Coursework, capstone, internship, lab, maker, or project experience in embedded systems, controls, robotics, mechatronics, marine systems, or related hands-on technical areas strongly preferred. Experience • 0-3 years of professional, internship, capstone, lab, or substantive project experience in embedded firmware, controls engineering, robotics, mechatronics, or related technical work., • Demonstrated hands-on experience with embedded software, hardware debugging, sensors, electronics, controls, or prototype systems., • Experience working in environments where attention to detail, documentation, safe work practices, and practical problem solving are essential. Required Qualifications • Solid fundamentals in C or C++ for embedded, microcontroller, bare-metal, or resource-constrained environments., • Working knowledge of microcontroller architecture, memory-mapped I/O, peripheral configuration, digital electronics, or embedded system design concepts., • Familiarity with real-time concepts such as interrupts, task scheduling, watchdog timers, timing constraints, and fault handling., • Coursework, project experience, or working exposure using at least one RTOS or bare-metal firmware framework, such as FreeRTOS, Zephyr, HAL-based development, or equivalent., • Exposure to closed-loop control principles such as PID tuning, plant modeling, sensor feedback, or control system validation., • Familiarity with serial communication protocols such as UART, SPI, I2C, and CAN., • Hands-on experience with oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, multimeters, or other bench diagnostic tools., • Experience using version control, preferably Git, in a collaborative development environment., • Strong attention to detail and a methodical approach to debugging, testing, documentation, and issue tracking., • Clear communication skills and the ability to collaborate effectively across hardware, software, controls, and systems disciplines., • Ability to work safely in an on-site engineering, lab, prototype, and marine test environment., • Ability to satisfy U.S. Government program access, export control, and security clearance requirements where applicable to assigned work. Preferred Qualifications • Sailing, boating, marine, ocean technology, or field-testing experience., • Experience with motor control, including BLDC, stepper, servo, linear actuator systems, or associated drive electronics., • Familiarity with Linux-based embedded platforms such as Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone, Yocto, Buildroot, or similar environments., • Experience with MATLAB/Simulink or similar tools for control design, simulation, or model-based development., • Background in marine, aerospace, robotics, autonomy, unmanned systems, or other fielded hardware systems., • Exposure to model-based design, HIL simulation, test automation, or structured validation workflows., • Experience working in government contracting, DoD-adjacent, defense technology, CUI-aware, or export controlled environments., • Active or previously held U.S. Government security clearance. GovCon / DoD Requirements • Security clearance: Must be able to obtain and maintain a U.S. Government security clearance if required by position duties, customer requirements, or program needs. The specific clearance level required, if any, will depend on assigned work., • Export control: Access to certain technical data, software, hardware, or customer information may require eligibility consistent with applicable U.S. export control laws and contract requirements, including U.S. person status where required., • Compliance posture: Must support ethical operations, confidentiality obligations, security awareness, documentation discipline, cybersecurity expectations, and practical compliance practices appropriate to a California employer operating in a federal contracting environment.