Embedded & Firmware Engineers
RTOS and Firmware Engineers for Connected Hardware
Low-level firmware, BSP development, device driver implementation, and hardware bring-up for complex SoC platforms. Principal engineers who have owned firmware from bare-metal through OS integration.
What they do
Firmware Ownership from Bring-Up Through Production Release
Principal embedded and firmware engineers at Game 7 have owned firmware architecture decisions on complex multi-core SoC platforms. Not just written device drivers against a BSP someone else built. They bring up hardware when there is no software, write BSPs from a chip datasheet, debug with a JTAG probe and a logic analyzer when nothing works, and produce firmware that goes into production without requiring someone else to fix it.
They understand the hardware deeply enough to know when the bug is in their code versus in the silicon.
Scope of work
- Board support package (BSP) development for custom SoC and ASIC platforms from bare-metal
- Device driver development for I2C, SPI, UART, PCIe, USB, Ethernet, and proprietary interfaces
- RTOS integration and task scheduling (FreeRTOS, Zephyr, ThreadX, VxWorks)
- Hardware bring-up and debug using JTAG, OpenOCD, and logic analyzers
- Bootloader development and secure boot implementation (UEFI, U-Boot, custom)
- Power management firmware and DVFS implementation (PSCI, vendor-specific power controllers)
- Embedded Linux kernel configuration, porting, and driver development
- Safety-critical firmware for ISO 26262 (ASIL-D) and IEC 61508 applications
Tools & Technologies
The stack our firmware engineers actually ship in.
Program context
Firmware Expertise Across Every Platform Type
Automotive firmware engineering (AUTOSAR, ISO 26262 ASIL-D) requires a fundamentally different discipline than consumer SoC bring-up. Deterministic execution, diagnostic software, and a documentation burden that doesn't exist in commercial programs. Wireless SoC firmware engineers need deep knowledge of the radio interface and timing constraints imposed by the air interface.
Compute platform bring-up (AI accelerators, data center SoCs) requires bringing up complex PCIe, HBM, and fabric interfaces. We ask about the platform, the RTOS, the interface set, and the safety certification requirements before submitting anyone.
FAQ
Common Questions on Embedded & Firmware Engineers Staffing
What's the difference between an embedded software engineer and a firmware engineer?+
Firmware engineers typically work closest to the hardware. Writing bare-metal code, BSPs, bootloaders, and device drivers, often without an OS. Embedded software engineers may work at a higher abstraction layer. Above an RTOS, writing application logic that runs on top of a BSP someone else provides. For silicon bring-up, you need firmware engineers. For application layer development on a mature platform, embedded software engineers are appropriate. We staff both and ask about the stack before matching.
Can Game 7 place engineers for silicon bring-up specifically?+
Yes. Bring-up is one of the highest-value phases of any SoC program. And one of the hardest to staff because the work requires deep hardware knowledge, debugging instinct, and the ability to work without documentation. Our bring-up engineers have done this on real programs. They know how to use JTAG, logic analyzers, and oscilloscopes to debug a board when nothing works on day one.
Do your embedded engineers have experience with safety-certified firmware?+
Yes. We have engineers with ISO 26262 ASIL-B and ASIL-D experience for automotive applications, including AUTOSAR-based firmware stacks, functional safety requirements, and the documentation rigor required for certification. We also have engineers with IEC 61508 SIL 2/3 experience for industrial and defense applications.
What RTOS platforms do your engineers have production experience with?+
FreeRTOS and Zephyr are the most common across our pool. We also have engineers with production experience on ThreadX (now Azure RTOS), VxWorks, QNX, and INTEGRITY (Green Hills). For automotive, we have AUTOSAR Classic and Adaptive experience. We match to the RTOS your program uses, not the RTOS that looks best on a resume.
Related disciplines
Cross-Links Across the Team
High-Speed PCB Layout Engineers: DDR5, SerDes, RF
Board design engineers whose hardware your firmware brings up.
RTL Design Engineers →SystemVerilog RTL Designers with Tape-Out Experience
Silicon your firmware team will eventually run on.
Design Verification Engineers →UVM Architects and DV Leads with Verification Closure Experience
Pre-silicon emulation and prototyping support.
Let's talk
Need an Embedded & Firmware Engineer?
Tell us the program. We'll send a shortlist of 2-4 qualified engineers within days.