Embedded Firmware / Software Engineer – USB-C Power Delivery | On-site Opportunity | Bellevue, WA | Fastwater Staffing

📍 Location: Bellevue, WA
📄 Employment Type: 6-Month W-2 Contract | Potential for Full-Time Conversion
🏢 Work Arrangement: Hybrid — 3 Days/Week On-Site
🗓️ Schedule: Monday–Friday
🚀 Start Date: TBD
💰 Compensation: TBD — based on skills and experience

Important Screening Requirements

• Must be a U.S. Person — U.S. Citizen or U.S. Permanent Resident (Green Card holder).
• Must be able to work on-site in Bellevue, WA, 3 days per week.
• Strong hands-on experience developing embedded C firmware for 32-bit ARM Cortex-M or similar microcontrollers.
• Experience with register-level peripheral programming.
• Hands-on PCB and firmware bring-up experience.
• Working knowledge of USB-C / USB Power Delivery (USB-PD).
• Experience communicating with companion ICs through I2C, SPI, and/or UART.
• Proficiency with bench-level debugging equipment, including oscilloscopes, logic/protocol analyzers, multimeters, SWD/JTAG debuggers, and UART logging.
• Ability to work from datasheets, register tables, and schematics.
• Proficiency with Git.

About the Role

We are seeking a hands-on Embedded Firmware / Software Engineer – USB-C Power Delivery to bring up new hardware platforms built around USB-C Power Delivery controllers and develop firmware from initial PCB power-on through production-quality implementation.

This is a low-level embedded firmware engineering role focused on hardware interaction, not application-level software development. You will develop and debug embedded C firmware on ARM Cortex-M microcontrollers, configure companion ICs over I2C, SPI, and UART, and work directly at the hardware bench alongside electrical and hardware engineers.

The ideal candidate can move comfortably between embedded C development, PCB bring-up, USB-PD functionality, peripheral communication, and hardware-level debugging.

What We’re Looking For

We’re looking for an engineer who is genuinely comfortable working at the hardware bench and has personally brought up and debugged embedded hardware.

The ideal candidate can explain how they powered on a new board, validated power and clocks, initialized the microcontroller, configured peripherals, debugged hardware and firmware issues, and verified USB-C Power Delivery behavior.

Strong candidates will combine expertise in:

Embedded C + ARM Cortex-M + PCB Bring-Up + USB-C/USB-PD + I2C/SPI/UART + Bench Debugging

Candidates whose experience is limited to application-level software development, without hands-on firmware and hardware bring-up experience, may not be a fit.

Key Responsibilities

PCB Bring-Up & Hardware Validation

• Bring up new printed circuit boards (PCBs) from initial power-on through functional firmware.
• Validate power rails, clocks, and hardware interfaces during board bring-up.
• Connect and configure SWD/JTAG debuggers.
• Enable and validate microcontroller peripherals.
• Work closely with hardware engineers to isolate hardware versus firmware issues.
• Support development from initial prototype bring-up through production-quality firmware.

Embedded Firmware Development

• Develop and debug embedded C firmware on ARM Cortex-M-class microcontrollers.
• Implement register-level peripheral programming.
• Configure and communicate with companion ICs over I2C, SPI, UART, and other peripheral interfaces.
• Work within memory-constrained environments, accounting for flash and RAM limitations.
• Analyze datasheets, register tables, and schematics to configure and troubleshoot hardware.
• Document firmware configurations, implementation decisions, and design considerations.

USB-C & Power Delivery Implementation

• Implement and debug USB-C and USB-PD functionality, including:
  • Source and sink roles
  • Dual-role power (DRP)
  • Power-contract negotiation
  • Fault handling and recovery
• Validate USB-PD behavior and troubleshoot power-delivery issues.
• Support the implementation and verification of reliable USB-C Power Delivery functionality.
• Work with hardware engineers to resolve issues involving USB-PD controllers and associated circuitry.

Hardware Debugging & Testing

• Debug firmware and hardware directly at the bench using:
  • Oscilloscopes
  • Logic and protocol analyzers
  • Digital multimeters
  • SWD/JTAG debuggers
  • UART logging
• Investigate hardware and firmware issues using schematics, register maps, and measurement results.
• Validate peripheral communication and hardware functionality.
• Support troubleshooting throughout development and testing.

Documentation & Engineering Collaboration

• Maintain clear documentation of firmware configurations and design decisions.
• Collaborate closely with hardware and electrical engineering teams.
• Communicate debugging findings and support root-cause investigations.
• Use Git for source control and firmware development workflows.
• Contribute to firmware quality and production readiness.

Required Qualifications

• Strong proficiency in embedded C.
• Experience developing firmware on 32-bit ARM Cortex-M or similar microcontrollers.
• Strong understanding of:
  • Interrupts
  • Register-level peripheral programming
  • Memory-constrained embedded development
  • Flash and RAM limitations
• Working knowledge of USB-C and USB Power Delivery.
• Understanding of USB-PD source, sink, and dual-role power (DRP) configurations.
• Understanding of USB-PD power-contract negotiation and fault handling.
• Hands-on experience with hardware and PCB bring-up.
• Experience communicating with and configuring companion ICs through I2C, SPI, UART, or similar interfaces.
• Ability to read and work from datasheets, register maps, and schematics.
• Experience using oscilloscopes, logic/protocol analyzers, multimeters, SWD/JTAG debuggers, and UART logging.
• Proficiency with Git.
• Strong troubleshooting and hardware/firmware debugging skills.
• Ability to collaborate closely with hardware and electrical engineering teams.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Infineon or Cypress MCU SDKs/IDEs and associated middleware.
• Experience with ModusToolbox, STM32Cube, or similar development environments.
• Experience creating or customizing a Board Support Package (BSP).
• Experience with firmware bootloaders and update mechanisms, including DFU or equivalent.
• Experience with power-path or regulator firmware, including:
  • VBUS control
  • Over-voltage protection (OVP)
  • Under-voltage protection (UVP)
  • Over-current protection (OCP)
  • Fault detection and recovery
  • Enable and soft-start sequencing
• Experience with USB subsystems such as:
  • USB hubs
  • DisplayPort Alt Mode
  • Redrivers
  • Retimers
  • Billboard devices

Nice-to-Have Qualifications

• Experience with Infineon EZ-PD / PMG1 or Cypress CCGx USB-PD controllers.
• Experience with ModusToolbox.
• Experience implementing continuous integration (CI) for embedded firmware builds.
• Familiarity with USB-IF Power Delivery compliance requirements and USB-C specifications.
• Experience taking embedded products from prototype hardware through production.