R&D -Sr Firmware Technical Leader - IoT Systems

Job Description

Duracell has an exciting opportunity for a Senior Firmware Technical Leader to lead our growing team developing new products and features in our expanding IoT offerings. We are looking for a seasoned Senior Firmware Engineer Developer Manager with a specialty in developing solutions for IoT Wi-Fi-enabled SoC hardware platforms, focusing on machine learning feature integration, diverse sensor integration, IoT systems, and use of varied wired/wireless communication protocols. This role seeks an individual with expert experience in coding, testing, and debugging firmware for new feature creation, optimizing existing code, as well as an adeptness in managing time-sensitive projects. In this role, you will lead a team of software engineers and the design, development, and optimization of code for IoT systems for cloud-based applications. You will mentor our junior engineers and collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to deliver scalable, secure, and reliable IoT solutions that meet and exceed the needs of our customers.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team of engineers and actively contribute to all product development activities, including investigation, design, coding, and testing.
• Design and develop features in embedded applications, specifically focusing on IoT sensors, connectivity hardware, data ingestion and analysis, ML features integration, along with connection and communication with Cloud services.
• Create reusable components to significantly reduce device firmware development time.
• Develop and optimize IoT system architectures for scalability, performance, and reliability, considering factors such as data volume, latency, optimal protocols, etc.
• Conduct system-level testing and validation of IoT solutions, analyzing performance metrics and addressing any issues or deficiencies through iterative refinement and optimization.
• Contribute to innovation in our IoT platform through research, experimentation, and evaluation of emerging technologies and industry trends.
• Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior engineers, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous learning.
• Develop and optimize code for low power SoC platforms, implementing new functionality, along with machine learning features using diverse low power sensors.
• Creating efficient code for data capture, processing, and reporting, used for incorporating new feature functionalities.
• Code for and implement various wireless communication protocols primarily Wi-Fi, but can include BLE, Zigbee, NFC, LoRa, and others.
• Design and test new firmware features, ensuring they meet functional and performance requirements.
• Demonstrate ability reading hardware schematics and using common debugging tools including scopes, logic analyzers, emulators, and signal generators.
• Exhibit strong debugging skills to identify and resolve firmware issues quickly and efficiently.
• Evaluate and optimize the performance of firmware, focusing on real-time data processing and transmission.
• Expert working with real-time operating systems (RTOS) to ensure seamless firmware functionality for data and memory intensive activities.
• Manage multiple projects and tasks, effectively working under time constraints to meet deadlines.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure integrated and effective solutions.
• Other duties as assigned.
  
  

Qualifications

Required Skills and Experience:

• Master’s degree in computer science, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
• Minium 10+ years of relevant experience in firmware development, with a strong emphasis on IoT systems data processing and associated communication protocols.
• 7+ years of experience in FreeRTOS or similar.
• Exceptional coding skills with 7+ years of experience with C/C++.
• In-depth knowledge and hands-on experience with Wi-Fi and other wireless technologies.
• Deep understanding of data structures such as JSON and transmission protocols such as UDP, MQTT, etc.
• Experience in coding for interfacing with cloud services and IoT platforms
• Proven debugging and problem-solving abilities in a firmware development context and associated tools.
• Ability to evaluate and enhance firmware performance, especially in real-time operating environments.
• Strong background in both hardware and software aspects of embedded systems and IoT technologies.
• Experience with real-time operating systems and understanding their impact on firmware development.
• Excellent time management skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks and work under tight deadlines.
• Proven track record of building, mentoring and leading firmware teams.
  
  

Desirable Qualifications:

• Additional programming language skills (Python, C++, etc.) beneficial for IoT development and data analysis.
• Experience coding for battery operated hardware designs with tight power constraints.
• Previous work on large-scale, high-impact firmware projects.
• Familiarity with security protocols and best practices for IoT devices.
• Experience with continuous integration and deployment (CI/CD) pipelines.
• Knowledge of machine learning algorithms and their implementation on embedded systems.
• Understanding of regulatory compliance requirements for IoT devices.
  
  

About Us

Duracell is the world’s leading manufacturer and marketer of high-performance alkaline batteries, complemented by a portfolio of high quality, market leading specialty, rechargeable and professional batteries. Duracell’s products power numerous critical professional devices across the globe such as heart rate monitors, defibrillators, telemetry devices, smoke detectors, fire alarms, automated valves and security systems. As the leader in the professional power category, Duracell has a rich history of innovation, continuously introducing batteries that are smaller, thinner, with more energy and longer lasting than competitive brands. Since March 2016, Duracell has found its permanent home within Berkshire Hathaway (ranked #4 World's Most Admired Companies by Fortune Magazine and #3 in the Fortune 500), and will continue to focus on sustainable growth, industry-leading innovation while creating long-term value for our customers and consumers. At Duracell, integrity, end-to-end accountability across all levels, fast decision-making and a “can do” attitude is highly valued. In January 2018, a new B2B Sector was created which among other duties, will assume responsibilities of the Professional Aftermarket businesses globally under the PROCELL brand.