Embedded Firmware Engineer

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VAEngineering
Wachtebeke, Belgium
Fulltime

About VAEngineering

At VAEngineering, we design and develop high-tech electronic products from concept to production. Our expertise spans the entire product lifecycle, including system architecture, hardware design, firmware development, embedded Linux, testing, certification, and manufacturing support.

We work across diverse industries, including space, robotics, medical technology, and consumer electronics, developing reliable products for demanding applications.

What sets us apart is our approach to engineering. We combine structured development processes, peer reviews, and automation to continuously improve quality and efficiency. Our ambition is to set the benchmark for quality in electronics and firmware development.

About the Role

We are looking for a Firmware Engineer to develop reliable, high-quality embedded software for challenging electronic applications.

You will work close to the hardware, developing low-level drivers, communication interfaces, and RTOS-based firmware for microcontroller platforms such as STM32, ESP32, and Nordic nRF.

We value engineers who enjoy solving complex technical problems, take ownership of their work, and combine strong programming skills with a practical understanding of electronics.

Your Responsibilities

  • Develop and maintain embedded firmware in C/C++ for microcontroller-based systems.
  • Design and implement low-level device drivers, hardware abstraction layers (HAL), and peripheral interfaces.
  • Develop and integrate communication protocols such as SPI, I²C, UART, CAN, and other application-specific interfaces.
  • Develop real-time embedded applications using RTOS platforms such as FreeRTOS or Zephyr.
  • Integrate and control sensors, actuators, communication modules, and other electronic peripherals.
  • Perform board bring-up, hardware-firmware integration, and debugging using JTAG/SWD, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and other laboratory equipment.
  • Optimize firmware for performance, memory usage, power consumption, and reliability.
  • Implement robust error handling, diagnostics, watchdogs, and fault-recovery mechanisms.
  • Participate in code reviews, document technical decisions, and contribute to continuous improvements in our development processes.
  • Write clean, maintainable, testable, and well-documented firmware.

What We're Looking For

We're looking for a technically curious engineer who enjoys working close to hardware, understanding how electronic systems operate, and developing reliable embedded software.

Required Qualifications

  • Strong knowledge of embedded programming using C and/or C++.
  • Hands-on experience with at least one microcontroller platform, such as STM32, ESP32, Nordic nRF, or similar.
  • Good understanding of microcontroller architecture, interrupts, timers, GPIO, ADC, PWM, and other peripherals.
  • Experience developing or integrating low-level device drivers and communication interfaces such as SPI, I²C, UART, or CAN.
  • Understanding of real-time embedded systems and RTOS concepts, including tasks, scheduling, synchronization, and timing.
  • Practical experience debugging embedded firmware and hardware interactions.
  • Ability to read and understand electronic schematics, datasheets, and microcontroller reference manuals.
  • Good communication skills and the ability to collaborate in a multidisciplinary engineering team.

Nice to Have

  • Experience with FreeRTOS, Zephyr, or other embedded real-time operating systems.
  • Knowledge of wireless communication technologies such as Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), Wi-Fi, or other embedded communication protocols.
  • Familiarity with firmware updates, and over-the-air (OTA) update mechanisms.

Don't meet every requirement? If you have a strong foundation in embedded programming, enjoy working with electronics, and are motivated to learn, we'd still love to hear from you.

What We Offer

  • Challenging projects: Work on advanced electronic products across diverse industries, each bringing new technical challenges.
  • Ownership and autonomy:  Take responsibility for your firmware, contribute ideas, and influence technical decisions.
  • Focus on engineering quality: Work with structured development processes, peer reviews, automated testing, CI/CD, and modern development tools.
  • Continuous learning: Expand your expertise through new technologies, hands-on experience, and collaboration with experienced engineers.
  • Collaborative environment: Join an informal, supportive team where knowledge sharing and technical problem-solving are part of everyday work.
  • Real-world impact:  See your firmware run on real hardware and become part of products used in demanding applications.

Interested in Joining?

To apply for this position, send your CV and motivation letter to the attention of Thomas Van Aken ( thomas@vaengineering.be) or click on the "Apply Now" button down below.

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