EE Firmware and Applications Engineer

Cohu

$100K — $130K *
Information Technology
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in computer engineering, electrical engineering, control engineering, or related field; MSc/MEng preferred
  • Minimum of 5 years in application support and firmware development for complex mechatronic systems
  • 5 years as a direct engineer with firmware development experience
  • Strong proficiency in C and C++ programming languages
  • Experience with technical standards and industrial development processes
  • Understanding of microcontroller architecture and digital circuit design
  • Willingness to travel for project and customer support

Responsibilities

  • Act as the technical bridge between sales teams and customers for product customization and support
  • Analyze client needs and provide pre/post-sales technical support, including product demonstrations
  • Deliver firmware updates and develop new firmware for control solutions
  • Collaborate with hardware engineers to validate hardware-software interactions
  • Debug system issues using tools like logic analyzers and oscilloscopes
  • Maintain accurate technical documentation of design specifications and code
  • Create low-level drivers for communication interfaces and hardware peripherals

Benefits

  • Opportunity for innovation through system improvements
  • Collaboration with interdisciplinary teams
  • Engagement in complex technical discussions
  • Focus on technical excellence and knowledge transfer
  • Potential for professional growth in a high-tech environment
Full Job Description
Job Description

Main Objectives
  • Acts as the technical bridge between a sales team and its customers, ensuring products and/or software are effectively customized, installed, and supported.
  • Analyze client needs, provide pre/post-sales technical support, conduct product demonstrations, and create custom technical solutions.
  • Evaluate feasibility and risk of new concepts using first-principles physics and empirical modeling.
  • Deliver new and/or update electrical firmware implementing control solutions from pre/post customer interactions and applications involvement.
  • Development, integration and lifecycle support of complex electrical control systems with a strong focus on firmware-related system integration and thermal system concepts to be integrated into an electro-mechanical robotic system.

Essential Functions/Major Responsibilities:
  1. Present technical solutions and resolve system-level issues in collaboration with customers and stakeholders.
  2. Collaborate with hardware engineers to interpret schematics, test prototypes, and validate hardware-software interaction.
  3. Develop firmware for microcontrollers (e.g., ARM Cortex-M) in C/C++, focusing on bare-metal or RTOS environments.
  4. Debug system issues using logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, and JTAG tools to troubleshoot code.
  5. Maintain technical documentation, including design specifications and code comments.
  6. Create low-level drivers for hardware peripherals (GPIOs, ADCs, Timers) and communication interfaces (CAN, USB, Bluetooth, IoT protocols). EtherCAT experience is a plus.
  7. Acting as a technical interface to internal departments as well as customers and external partners.
  8. Definition, alignment, and implementation of system requirements in close collaboration with hardware and mechanical engineering teams.

Essential Quality Expectations
  • Strong analytical skills and the ability to make sound decisions under ambiguity using physical principles and engineering judgment.
  • Excellent communication and moderation skills to lead interdisciplinary teams through complex trade-offs.
  • Proactive mindset for identifying innovation opportunities and system improvements.
  • Commitment to technical excellence, documentation, and knowledge transfer.
  • Customer-oriented thinking and ability to represent the company in technical discussions.

Qualifications & Requirements:
  • Education/Training: Bachelor's degree in computer engineering, electrical engineering, control engineering or a related field. (MSc, MEng, etc. desired)
  • Experience: This position requires a minimum of 5 years of experience in the application support and firmware development of complex mechatronic systems, ideally in semiconductor backend equipment and a minimum of 5 years as a direct engineer in a discipline, preferably firmware development.
  • Skills/Technical Requirements:
    • Strong proficiency in C and C++.
    • Strong understanding of microcontroller architecture, memory management, and digital circuit design.
    • Experience with technical standards and industrial development processes.
    • Experience in bootloader development and using GIT/SVN.
    • Experience with communication protocols like UART, SPI, I2C, CAN, EtherCAT.
    • Strong analytical and debugging skills to resolve complex technical challenges.
    • Understanding and/or working experience with thermal systems, motion control, control systems.
    • Willingness to travel as required for projects and customer support.
    • Excellent English communication skills: German and/or French is a plus.

Similar Jobs

More Jobs at Cohu

More Information Technology Jobs

Find similar EE Firmware and Applications Engineer jobs: