Automotive Firmware Engineer
The job description
Tech stack. AUTOSAR Classic and Adaptive platforms, CAN/CAN-FD/LIN networks, ISO 26262 functional safety, UDS diagnostics protocol, ECU bootloader and flashing, Vector tools (CANoe, CANape), MISRA C, ASPICE processes
About the role
You will develop firmware for automotive electronic control units at a supplier or OEM, where engineering process rigor is a legal obligation and a moral one. Automotive firmware engineers work under the strictest discipline in all of embedded development: complete requirements traceability, documented safety cases, and diagnostic systems that dealership technicians will depend on for a decade or more. Your code will operate on public roads inside millions of vehicles, so every requirement is formally specified, every change is independently reviewed, and every test result is recorded. It is demanding, methodical, deeply serious work where cutting corners is simply not an option and quality must be proven with evidence, never assumed.
What you will achieve
- Develop ECU application firmware following ASPICE development processes and ISO 26262 functional safety with complete requirements traceability to verification
- Deliver CAN and CAN-FD communication stacks: network management, transport protocol layers, and signal database integration, all validated on the bench and in vehicles
- Implement safety mechanisms exactly per the technical safety concept: plausibility monitoring, redundant paths, defined safe states, and fault handling with test evidence
- Support vehicle-level integration actively: flashing and programming procedures, calibration workflows, and debugging with OEM toolchains during test drives
- Drive software defect rates down systematically through MISRA C compliance, static analysis gates, structured peer reviews, and requirements-based testing with coverage metrics
What you will bring
Must-haves
- 2 to 5 years developing automotive firmware or other formally safety-critical embedded software under rigorous processes
- Understanding of AUTOSAR software architecture (Classic or Adaptive platforms) or equivalent disciplined automotive software layering
- Experience with CAN, CAN-FD, or LIN vehicle networks: controller configuration, network management behavior, and diagnostics protocol implementation
- Familiarity with ISO 26262 functional safety concepts: ASIL determination, safety planning, hazard analysis and risk assessment, and software verification methods
- Knowledge of UDS unified diagnostics services and ECU bootloader and flashing procedures used in production and service environments
- Personal discipline for process-intensive development: requirements authoring, formal technical reviews, bidirectional traceability, and change control boards
- BS in Electrical or Computer Engineering
Nice-to-haves
- Hands-on experience with Vector development tools: CANoe, CANape, vFlash, or vTestStudio for development and automated testing
- Familiarity with automotive Ethernet technologies: SOME/IP service communication, DoIP diagnostics, or AVB/TSN time-sensitive networking
- Knowledge of automotive cybersecurity engineering per ISO/SAE 21434 and secure onboard communication design
- Experience with calibration engineering tools and measurement workflows such as INCA and MDA
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