Job Description
Job Description
Job Title:
Staff Engineer, Firmware
Reporting to:
Director, Engineering
Location:
San Jose, CA
Job Site:
On-Site
Job Description Revision Date:
August 3, 2026
About us:
We know what it takes to be a key partner in life science and medical industries. Since 2002, Gener8 has guided our customers by turning their innovative concepts into reality by providing engineering design services and manufacturing complex instruments, software, and consumables. Our customers are striving for breakthroughs in research instruments and medical diagnostic and surgical devices that will help scientists and medical professionals understand patient conditions and provide better treatment. Gener8 is a growing company with offices in San Jose and Carlsbad, CA, Wilmington, MA, Indianapolis, IN and Costa Rica.
We are seeking a Staff Firmware Engineer to develop the next-generation embedded systems for our life sciences platforms. In this role, you will bridge the gap between complex biological assays and high-performance hardware, ensuring our diagnostic and research instruments operate with unparalleled precision and reliability.
Key Responsibilities
- Design and implement scalable, robust firmware architectures for complex mechatronic systems, including thermal control, fluidics management, and high-speed data acquisition.
- Collaborate with Product and Science teams to translate biological requirements into technical specifications.
- Firmware development from initial proof-of-concept through hardware abstraction layers (HAL) to production-ready RTOS or bare-metal environments.
- Work closely with Electrical, Mechanical, and Software Engineering to ensure seamless system integration and "hardware-software co-design."
- Ensure firmware development meets stringent medical device standards (e.g., IEC 62304, ISO 13485) and cybersecurity protocols.
Required Qualifications
- BS/MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field.
- BS degree + 4 years, or MS degree + 2 years in embedded systems.
- Deep experience with FreeRTOS, Zephyr, ThreadX, or Embedded Linux.
- Mastery of ARM Cortex-M/A, FPGAs, and communication protocols (I2C, SPI, CAN, USB, Ethernet).
- Proven track record in Life Sciences, Medical Devices, or IVD (In-Vitro Diagnostics).
Technical Expertise & "Nice-to-Haves"
- Experience with PID loops for precise thermal management (e.g., PCR cycling) or motion control.
- Ability to implement digital filters and algorithms for low-noise sensor data acquisition.
- Experience with BLE, Wi-Fi, or cloud-integrated IoT medical devices.
- Proficiency with logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, and CI/CD pipelines for firmware (GitLab, Jenkins, Docker).
Why This Role Matters: In the Life Sciences, a single millisecond of latency or a 0.1°ree;C temperature fluctuation can be the difference between a successful diagnostic result and a failed experiment. Your work will directly impact patient outcomes and the speed of scientific discovery.
Note to Candidates: We value "clean code" advocates who understand that firmware in life sciences isn't just about making it work, it's about making it safe, verifiable, and maintainable for a decade-long product lifecycle.
Gener8 values diversity in our workplace. Our company provides equal opportunity for employment to qualified applicants based on experience and the ability to do the available work, without regard to race, religion, color, age, sex/gender, sexual orientation, national origin, gender identity, disability, marital status, veteran status, genetic information, ancestry, or any other status protected by law. We are committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.
We are an Everify Employer. Due to the nature of our projects, you must be a US Permanent Resident or a US Citizen for consideration.
Company Benefits:
Health, Dental and Vision insurance; 401(k); Life insurance; pet insurance, STD, LTD; Flexible spending account, Health savings account; Paid time off; Employee discounts, Customer Referral Award, Employee Referral Award program.