Senior Embedded Software Developer

at  Nethermind

WHAT ARE WE ALL ABOUT?

We are a team of builders and researchers on a mission to empower enterprises and developers worldwide to access and build on decentralized systems.
Our expertise covers several domains: Ethereum and Starknet protocol engineering, layer-2, cryptography research, protocol research, decentralized finance (DeFi), security auditing, formal verification, real-time monitoring, smart contract development, and dapps and enterprise engineering.
Working to solve some of the most challenging problems in the blockchain space, we frequently collaborate with renowned companies, such as Ethereum Foundation, Starknet Foundation, Gnosis Chain, Flashbots, Forta Protocol, Lido, EigenLayer, Open Zeppelin, RISCZero, Aleph Zero, and many more.
Today, we are a 350+ strong team working remotely across 66+ countries.
View all our open positions here: https://www.nethermind.io/open-roles
Location: Edinburgh, United Kingdom (Hybrid - 60%)

ARE YOU THE ONE?

Are you an experienced embedded software engineer with a deep understanding of hardware-software integration and a track record of successfully bringing products to market? Do you excel in developing robust, scalable firmware for hardware systems, particularly those involving complex PCB designs and sensor integration? If you have a passion for embedded systems and a keen eye for optimizing firmware for reliability, performance, and security, you might be the one we’re looking for.
Join our innovative team as we develop next-generation biometric authentication devices. You will play a pivotal role in co-developing the embedded software that drives our cutting-edge palm vein recognition technology, from prototyping through to mass production, while ensuring it meets the highest standards of quality, security, and compliance.

Responsibilities:

• Collaborate closely with hardware engineers to co-develop firmware for custom PCB designs, ensuring seamless integration between software and hardware components.
• Lead the firmware development lifecycle, including architecture design, coding, debugging, testing, and deployment for embedded systems with a focus on biometric sensor integration and image processing pipelines.
• Implement and optimize real-time firmware for palm vein recognition systems, ensuring high performance and reliability in data acquisition, processing, and device communication.
• Develop and maintain secure DFU (Device Firmware Update) mechanisms, ensuring the embedded systems can be updated reliably and securely throughout the product’s lifecycle.
• Drive hardware bring-up and validation, performing system-level integration and testing to identify and resolve any hardware/software interaction issues.
• Contribute to regulatory compliance efforts by ensuring that all firmware meets the necessary safety, security, and quality standards for certification, such as CE, FCC, and ISO.
• Ensure firmware scalability and modularity, anticipating future enhancements and features, and allowing for streamlined updates and improvements over time.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including optical engineers, cloud software developers, and product managers to define system requirements and implement solutions that align with product goals.
• Mentor junior developers, providing guidance in best practices, code reviews, and design discussions to foster a culture of continuous improvement and technical excellence.
• Stay current with industry trends and emerging technologies, bringing new ideas to the table and continually enhancing the embedded systems to maintain a competitive edge in the market.

SKILLS:

• 7+ years of experience in embedded software development, with a strong emphasis on hardware-software co-design and real-time system optimization.
• Proven experience in shipping embedded products from prototype to mass production, ideally in industries such as electronics, medical devices, or consumer hardware.
• Advanced proficiency in Rust, C/C++ programming for embedded systems and working knowledge of RTOS environments (e.g., FreeRTOS, ThreadX).
• Expertise in sensor integration (e.g., biometric sensors, imaging sensors) and real-time data acquisition and processing.
• Extensive experience with communication protocols (e.g., I2C, SPI, UART) and handling peripheral devices.
• In-depth knowledge of DFU processes and secure boot methodologies for firmware updates.
• Hands-on experience in hardware bring-up and debugging, using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and JTAG debuggers.
• Familiarity with low-power embedded system design, ensuring energy-efficient operation.
• Strong understanding of cybersecurity best practices for embedded systems, including encryption, secure boot, and firmware validation.
• Experience with STM32 microcontrollers (ARM Cortex-M).
• Knowledge of ARM TrustZone for secure embedded systems.
• Familiarity with Assembly for low-level hardware interaction and optimization.
• Cross-platform development expertise (Linux, macOS, Windows) for tooling and testing environments.
• Knowledge of Python for scripting, automation, and development tools.
• Familiarity with firmware development tools (e.g., CMake, GDB, OpenOCD).
• Experience with Linux kernel development and low-level driver implementation.

• Collaborate closely with hardware engineers to co-develop firmware for custom PCB designs, ensuring seamless integration between software and hardware components.
• Lead the firmware development lifecycle, including architecture design, coding, debugging, testing, and deployment for embedded systems with a focus on biometric sensor integration and image processing pipelines.
• Implement and optimize real-time firmware for palm vein recognition systems, ensuring high performance and reliability in data acquisition, processing, and device communication.
• Develop and maintain secure DFU (Device Firmware Update) mechanisms, ensuring the embedded systems can be updated reliably and securely throughout the product’s lifecycle.
• Drive hardware bring-up and validation, performing system-level integration and testing to identify and resolve any hardware/software interaction issues.
• Contribute to regulatory compliance efforts by ensuring that all firmware meets the necessary safety, security, and quality standards for certification, such as CE, FCC, and ISO.
• Ensure firmware scalability and modularity, anticipating future enhancements and features, and allowing for streamlined updates and improvements over time.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including optical engineers, cloud software developers, and product managers to define system requirements and implement solutions that align with product goals.
• Mentor junior developers, providing guidance in best practices, code reviews, and design discussions to foster a culture of continuous improvement and technical excellence.
• Stay current with industry trends and emerging technologies, bringing new ideas to the table and continually enhancing the embedded systems to maintain a competitive edge in the market