We are seeking a Senior Embedded Software Engineer to work as part of our R&D software-firmware design team.

Position Overview

In this senior technical role, you will take ownership of embedded firmware development for microcontroller-based systems integrated within high-speed optical modules.

You will work closely with cross-functional teams-including hardware, optics, ASIC, systems, and test engineering-to deliver robust, scalable, and production-ready solutions. This position requires strong technical leadership, deep hands-on expertise in embedded C development, and the ability to drive projects from concept through production release.

The successful candidate will have a proven track record of close collaboration with hardware and electrical teams, experience bringing up and debugging firmware on new hardware platforms, and broad embedded systems expertise developed across a diverse set of projects.

Note: While Ranovus supports a hybrid work model combining remote and on-site work, this role requires significant on-site presence at our Kanata, Ontario facility.

Key Responsibilities

Firmware Architecture & Development

• Architect, design, and implement low-level embedded firmware for microcontroller-based optical communication systems, primarily in C.
• Define firmware requirements, interfaces, and system behavior in collaboration with hardware and system architects.
• Develop device drivers, control loops, diagnostics, telemetry, and communication protocols.
• Optimize firmware for performance, power efficiency, memory utilization, and long-term reliability.
• Lead board bring-up, hardware-software integration, and system-level validation activities.

Software Quality & DevOps

• Establish and promote best practices for secure, scalable, and maintainable firmware development.
• Drive continuous integration and delivery (CI/CD) improvements using GitLab and automated build and test pipelines.
• Define and implement unit, integration, and system-level test strategies.
• Lead complex debugging and root-cause investigations across firmware, hardware, and system boundaries.

Technical Leadership

• Mentor junior engineers and co-op students, fostering technical growth and best practices.
• Contribute to technical roadmaps, architectural reviews, and design discussions.
• Develop and maintain technical documentation, coding standards, and development processes.
• Interface with external partners and manufacturing teams to support production deployment and sustainment.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or an equivalent combination of education and professional experience.
• 10+ years of professional experience in embedded firmware development.
• Expert-level proficiency in C for embedded systems.
• Strong experience developing firmware for microcontrollers and resource-constrained environments.
• Deep understanding of embedded systems fundamentals, including interrupts, DMA, RTOS concepts, bootloaders, and memory management.
• Experience developing software in Linux-based environments.
• Proficiency in Python for scripting, automation, or system-level tools.
• Experience with version control and CI/CD workflows (Git, GitLab).
• Strong hands-on debugging skills using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and related lab instrumentation.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with optical communication systems or high-speed networking products.
• Familiarity with data center interconnect technologies.
• Experience designing and deploying embedded Linux systems.
• Knowledge of networking protocols and client-server architectures.
• Exposure to Rust for embedded or systems-level applications.
• Experience with automated testing frameworks and verification methodologies.
• Familiarity with typical integrated development environments, make-based build systems, and modern build tooling.

Personal Attributes

• Strong sense of ownership and accountability.
• Ability to work independently while contributing strategically to team objectives.
• Structured, analytical problem-solving approach.
• Collaborative team player comfortable working in cross-functional engineering environments.