Firmware Development Engineer
Kairos Power1 day ago
Base Salary
$92k - $109k/yr
Responsibilities
- Support firmware development for reactor protection, instrumentation, control, and related plant systems.
- Implement and debug embedded firmware in C/C++ and support FPGA logic development as applicable.
- Develop firmware requirements, interface definitions, design descriptions, and traceability documentation.
- Develop and execute unit, integration, and regression tests; investigate anomalies and support independent verification and validation.
- Support laboratory hardware bring-up and firmware integration using schematics, datasheets, debuggers, oscilloscopes, and logic analyzers.
- Maintain version control, configuration management, code reviews, change control, reproducible builds, and documented firmware releases.
- Collaborate with hardware, controls, systems, and test engineers on interface issues, system testing, and commissioning.
- Follow nuclear quality assurance, software lifecycle, and cybersecurity procedures and incorporate technical review feedback.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
- Entry-level position suitable for recent graduates or candidates with 0–2 years of relevant experience; coursework, laboratory work, capstone projects, internships, and personal projects are acceptable.
- Foundational programming skills in C or C++ and experience developing and debugging software for a microcontroller, embedded processor, or comparable platform.
- Understanding of digital logic and embedded concepts including memory, interrupts, timers, state machines, and real-time behavior.
- Ability to read technical documentation and basic schematics, troubleshoot methodically, and document designs, test results, and issues clearly.
- Familiarity with version control such as Git and basic software testing practices.
- Strong attention to detail, clear communication, collaboration, willingness to ask questions, and ability to learn from technical reviews.
- Preferred exposure to VHDL/Verilog, FPGA tools, Python test automation, laboratory instruments, or SPI, I2C, and UART interfaces.
- Interest in nuclear energy and safety-critical engineering; familiarity with requirements traceability, verification and validation, or quality assurance is a plus.
Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision benefits for employees and dependents.
- Paid vacation.
- 401(k), pre-tax health insurance, dependent care, and commuter benefits through an FSA.
- Full-time employee benefits are available; interns are excluded.
- Onsite work at the Alameda, California headquarters, with the posting marked hybrid.
About Kairos Power
Kairos Power designs and commercializes advanced nuclear reactors using a fluoride-salt coolant to deliver high-temperature, low-carbon energy for utilities and industrial customers. The company develops, licenses, and builds demonstration systems as a path to fleet deployment, with offerings spanning reactor design, engineering, and operations support. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Alameda, California, the privately held firm grew out of U.S. university and national-laboratory research on fluoride-salt-cooled, high-temperature reactors (FHRs).