At a Glance
- Tasks: Design and develop firmware for cutting-edge autonomous underwater vehicles.
- Company: Join an innovative startup revolutionising underwater technology.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible work environment, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Collaborative team culture with a focus on innovation and engineering excellence.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in the exciting field of underwater exploration and security.
- Qualifications: Degree in relevant field and experience in embedded software development.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
About Vatn Systems Vatn Systems is an innovative startup at the forefront of designing and manufacturing autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). Our mission is to revolutionize underwater security, exploration, research, and operations through cutting-edge technology and unparalleled engineering. Our AUVs are defining the next generation of underwater autonomy.
The Role We are looking for a talented and motivated Embedded Firmware Engineer to join our growing team. In this role, you will design, develop, and maintain the bare-metal and RTOS firmware that runs our AUVs on embedded microcontrollers. You'll write C and C++ close to the metal, bring up new hardware, and own the low-level software that keeps our vehicles running reliably in demanding maritime conditions. The ideal candidate is a proactive engineer who enjoys working close to the metal and thrives at the hardware/software boundary.
What You'll Do
- Design, build, and maintain efficient, reliable firmware in C and C++ for embedded microcontrollers (bare-metal and RTOS)
- Bring up new hardware: board bring-up, bootloaders, device drivers, and board support packages
- Implement and debug communication between subsystems over interfaces such as UART, SPI, I2C, CAN, and Ethernet
- Integrate sensors, actuators, and peripherals, and implement real-time control and telemetry paths
- Optimize firmware for performance, memory footprint, and power
- Collaborate with electrical, mechanical, and autonomy engineers to translate system requirements into robust embedded solutions
- Write and maintain unit and integration tests, and support hardware-in-the-loop testing
- Participate in code reviews, providing and receiving constructive feedback to improve our engineering practices
- Troubleshoot, debug, and upgrade existing firmware, including on-vehicle and field debugging
What You'll Need
Required Qualifications:
- Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related technical field
- 3–5 years of professional embedded software/firmware development experience
- Strong proficiency in C and C++ for embedded microcontrollers (bare-metal and/or RTOS)
- Hands-on experience developing firmware for STM32 microcontrollers (e.g., STM32CubeMX/HAL, LL drivers, or bare-metal register-level programming)
- Solid understanding of hardware/software integration: reading schematics and datasheets, and debugging with oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and JTAG/SWD
- Experience with embedded communication protocols (e.g., UART, SPI, I2C, CAN, Ethernet)
- Familiarity with real-time constraints, interrupts, DMA, and low-level memory management
- Experience writing firmware for power-constrained and/or resource-limited systems (battery power budgets, tight memory/timing footprints)
- Proficiency with version control systems, specifically Git
- Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to work effectively in a team environment
- United States Citizen or Permanent Resident
- Ability to gain a security clearance
Nice-to-Haves:
- Experience with cross-compilation, build systems (e.g., CMake, Make), and toolchains for embedded targets
- Experience with the Rust programming language
- Experience with the Nix ecosystem (Nix/NixOS, reproducible builds)
- Experience with digital signal processing (e.g., filtering, FFTs, sensor data conditioning)
- Experience with serialization protocols like Protobufs, DDS, etc.
- Familiarity with robotics middleware or modern robotics frameworks (e.g., ROS 2)
- Experience with CI/CD pipelines for embedded software and automated hardware testing
- Experience with maritime sensors, underwater acoustics, or subsea systems
- Familiarity with functional safety or safety-critical software development practices
Vatn is an equal opportunity employer, and we welcome candidates from all backgrounds to apply. We look forward to reviewing your application and potentially having you join our team in shaping the future of autonomous underwater vehicles.
Embedded Firmware Engineer in Bristol employer: Vatn
At Vatn, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic and fast-paced startup environment in Bristol, RI. Our culture fosters collaboration and innovation, providing employees with ample opportunities for growth and development while working closely with leadership on impactful projects. With a commitment to diversity and inclusion, we ensure that every team member feels valued and empowered to contribute to our mission.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Embedded Firmware Engineer in Bristol
✨Join Local Tech Meetups
Get out there and mingle with fellow developers by joining local tech meetups. It’s a fantastic way to meet people who might be working at Vatn or know someone who does. Plus, you can pick up some trendy tech skills and trends while you're at it!
✨Contribute to Open Source Projects
Show off your coding chops by jumping into open-source projects. Not only does this give you practical experience, but it also gets you noticed in the dev community. You'll create a killer portfolio that speaks volumes about your skills to Vatn.
✨Tap into Online Developer Communities
Don’t underestimate the power of online developer communities like GitHub, Stack Overflow, and even Reddit. Participate in discussions, share your projects, and build your visibility. We can often find opportunities through these channels that can lead to a full-time gig at companies like Vatn.
✨Explore Job Boards Specifically for Tech Roles
Keep your eyes peeled on job boards that focus on tech roles. Sites like TechCareers or Stack Overflow Jobs can often have listings for companies like Vatn that might not show up on broader job sites. Make it a habit to check these regularly, and don’t hesitate to apply directly through our website!
We think you need these skills to ace Embedded Firmware Engineer in Bristol
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your coding skills:When applying for a software engineering role, it's super important to showcase your coding skills. Make sure your CV includes your tech stack, any relevant programming languages you’re comfortable with, and examples of projects you've worked on. If you have a GitHub profile, link it up! We love to see code in action.
Tailor your portfolio:For a full-time role, we’d expect to see some solid examples of your work in your portfolio. Make sure to include at least two or three projects that highlight your problem-solving skills and your ability to work with different technologies. Focus on the projects that are most relevant to the position at Vatn.
Craft a killer cover letter:Your cover letter is your chance to stand out—make it personal! Explain why you want to work at Vatn and how your skills align with the role. Show us your passion for software development. We dig enthusiastic candidates who understand the value of collaboration and continuous learning!
Be clear and concise:When it comes to writing your CV and cover letter, clarity is key. Avoid jargon that could confuse us and stick to simple, direct language. Highlight your achievements with quantifiable results where possible, and keep everything easy to read. A well-organised application goes a long way!
How to prepare for a job interview at Vatn
✨Brush Up on Your Coding Skills
For a full-time software engineering role, it's crucial that we stay sharp with our coding abilities. Expect technical questions that might involve solving problems on the spot or discussing algorithms. Practise on platforms like LeetCode or HackerRank to get comfortable with the types of questions that often come up.
✨Know Your Tools and Frameworks
Make sure we’re well-acquainted with the tools and technologies listed in the job description. Familiarise ourselves with any specific frameworks or programming languages mentioned. If Vatn uses React or Node.js, for instance, be ready to discuss how we’ve used them in previous projects or coursework.
✨Showcase Your Projects
Bring along a portfolio that highlights our best work. This could be code samples, GitHub repositories, or any side projects we’ve built. Make sure we can talk through our thought process for each project, especially the challenges we faced and how we solved them—this shows our problem-solving skills in action.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
While technical skills are key, full-time positions also require cultural fit. Be ready to discuss our previous experiences and how we handle teamwork, conflict, and deadlines. Brush up on the STAR method—Situation, Task, Action, Result—to clearly articulate our past experiences when discussing how we've contributed to a team.
