Sr. Embedded Software Engineer I

About the role

FORT's platform ensures safe, secure, and dynamic control that surpasses legacy systems and next-generation AI capabilities. As a Senior Embedded Software Engineer, you will own critical subsystems within our embedded stack, shaping the product's architecture. You'll bridge hardware and high-level applications across Embedded Linux, RTOS (Zephyr/FreeRTOS), and bare-metal environments, serving as the technical point of contact for product, hardware, cloud, and safety teams.

Responsibilities

• Architect and implement C/C++ software for safety-critical embedded systems where reliability is non-negotiable.
• Drive platform architecture for Embedded Linux user-space applications and real-time firmware for FreeRTOS/Zephyr devices, designing for failure modes, future scale, and platform reuse.
• Own the safety compliance posture of your subsystem, partnering with the safety team to embed IEC 61508 rigor into design and code.
• Architect and evolve GitLab CI/CD pipelines for firmware, setting the bar for automated testing, deterministic builds, and release confidence.
• Lead bring-up of new hardware and diagnose complex bugs across the hardware/software boundary using JTAG, GDB, logic analyzers, and oscilloscopes.
• Serve as the primary technical point of contact for product, QE, hardware, and cloud teams on subsystem design, integration, and trade-offs.

Requirements

• 6+ years of hands-on embedded software development, including 2+ years working on safety-critical or regulated products.
• Expert proficiency in C and C++, including modern C++ patterns and safe memory management at scale.
• Deep experience with Embedded Linux (including BSP and low-level architecture) and proficiency with at least one RTOS (Zephyr or FreeRTOS).
• Working knowledge of Board Support Packages (BSP) and device drivers; experience debugging below the kernel boundary.
• Strong fluency with IP networking and standard interfaces (UART, SPI, I2C, USB, CAN).
• Proficient with Python for scripting/automation and experience architecting CI/CD workflows for firmware (GitLab preferred).
• Expert with oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, JTAG, and GDB; ability to localize hard bugs across the hardware/software boundary independently.
• Experience working under or implementing functional safety standards (IEC 61508, ISO 26262, DO-178C, or equivalent).
• B.S. in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent experience.

Skills

• Wireless stacks (BLE, ISM, Wi-Fi).
• Background in regulated industries (Medical, Automotive, Aerospace, Industrial).
• Contributions to open-source embedded or RTOS projects.

How You'll Show Up

• Accomplish the Impossible: Proactively automate manual toil and find creative paths through ambiguous architectural problems.
• Own Your Priorities: Accountable for project milestones and the long-term health of your subsystem.
• Think Out Loud: Lead architectural design reviews and communicate complex trade-offs clearly to engineers and non-engineers alike.
• Build Together: Run retrospectives and post-mortems, mentor junior engineers, and align technical goals across hardware, firmware, SIT, and cloud teams.