R&D Firmware Engineer

May 13, 2026

Other Jobs To Apply

Overview <a href="https://www.keysight.com/us/en/about.html" target="_blank" style="color: #e90029;" rel="noopener">Keysight</a> is at the forefront of technology innovation, delivering breakthroughs and trusted insights in electronic design, simulation, prototyping, test, manufacturing, and optimization. Our ~15,000 employees create world-class solutions in communications, 5G, automotive, energy, quantum, aerospace, defense, and semiconductor markets for customers in over 100 countries. Learn more <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykxkSz5DlPo&t=16s" target="_blank" style="color: #e90029;" rel="noopener">about what we do.</a> Our <a href="https://jobs.keysight.com/awards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">award-winning</a> culture embraces a bold vision of where technology can take us and a passion for tackling challenging problems with industry-first solutions. We believe that when people feel a sense of belonging, they can be more creative, innovative, and thrive at all points in their careers. Responsibilities Firmware Architecture & Development<ul><li style="margin: 2.0pt 0in 2.0pt .5in;">Architect, design, implement, and maintain complex embedded firmware for high-performance test and measurement systems</li><li style="margin: 2.0pt 0in 2.0pt .5in;">Develop firmware in C and C++ targeting bare-metal and RTOS-based environments on microcontrollers and SoC platforms</li><li style="margin: 2.0pt 0in 2.0pt .5in;">Design and implement hardware abstraction layers (HAL), board support packages (BSP), and low-level device drivers for FPGAs, ADCs, DACs, RF components, and custom ASICs</li><li style="margin: 2.0pt 0in 2.0pt .5in;">Develop and optimize FPGA logic and firmware interfaces using VHDL or Verilog where required</li><li style="margin: 2.0pt 0in 2.0pt .5in;">Implement real-time control algorithms and signal processing routines meeting stringent timing and latency requirements</li></ul>Hardware Integration & System Bring-Up<ul><li style="margin: 2.0pt 0in 2.0pt .5in;">Partner closely with hardware engineers during PCB bring-up, characterization, and validation phases</li><li style="margin: 2.0pt 0in 2.0pt .5in;">Develop and execute firmware test plans; write and maintain automated regression test suites</li><li style="margin: 2.0pt 0in 2.0pt .5in;">Perform hands-on hardware debugging using oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, JTAG, and protocol analyzers (I2C, SPI, UART, PCIe, USB)</li><li style="margin: 2.0pt 0in 2.0pt .5in;">Define and validate firmware interfaces with DSPs, FPGAs, and host software layers</li></ul>Technical Leadership & Mentorship<ul><li style="margin: 2.0pt 0in 2.0pt .5in;">Lead firmware architecture discussions and design reviews; provide clear, actionable feedback to peers and junior engineers</li><li style="margin: 2.0pt 0in 2.0pt .5in;">Contribute to and champion firmware development standards, coding guidelines, and documentation practices across the team</li><li style="margin: 2.0pt 0in 2.0pt .5in;">Participate in cross-functional program reviews, risk identification, and mitigation planning</li></ul>Quality, Testing & Lifecycle<ul><li style="margin: 2.0pt 0in 2.0pt .5in;">Write high-quality, maintainable, well-documented firmware code; maintain comprehensive unit and integration test coverage</li><li style="margin: 2.0pt 0in 2.0pt .5in;">Investigate, root-cause, and resolve complex firmware defects; manage bug resolution from triage through close</li><li style="margin: 2.0pt 0in 2.0pt .5in;">Participate in Agile/Scrum ceremonies: sprint planning, stand-ups, backlog refinement, and retrospectives</li><li style="margin: 2.0pt 0in 2.0pt .5in;">Support product sustaining engineering and field escalation resolution as needed</li></ul> Qualifications Education<ul><li>BS or MS degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a closely related technical discipline</li></ul>Experience<ul><li>8+ years of embedded firmware experience, including work on high-frequency RF, mixed-signal, or precision analog instrumentation</li><li>Track record of leading or significantly contributing to firmware architecture decisions on a delivered product</li></ul>Programming Languages & Tools<ul><li>Expert-level proficiency in C; strong proficiency in C++ for embedded systems and Python</li><li>Experience with FPGA firmware development and hardware-firmware co-design (Xilinx/AMD, Intel/Altera); familiarity with VHDL or Verilog</li><li>Experience with CMake, Jenkins CI/CD pipelines, and automated firmware test frameworks</li><li>Familiarity using AI tools for code generation and review</li></ul>Hardware & Architectures<ul><li>Hands-on experience with microcontroller and/or SoC architectures (ARM Cortex-M/A, RISC-V, or similar)</li><li>Strong experience writing and debugging low-level peripheral drivers (I2C, SPI, UART, USB, PCIe, Ethernet)</li><li>Proficiency with embedded debugging tools: JTAG/SWD debuggers, logic analyzers, oscilloscopes</li><li>Working knowledge of RF and analog electronics sufficient to collaborate effectively with hardware design engineers</li></ul>Software & Systems<ul><li>Experience with Linux kernel drivers or Yocto-based embedded Linux BSP development</li><li>Familiarity with DSP fundamentals — FFT, filtering, calibration algorithms — as applied to measurement firmware</li><li>Knowledge of electronic test and measurement instrument architecture (VNAs, signal generators); familiarity with instrument control standards: VISA, SCPI</li></ul>Development Practices<ul><li>Experience with version control (Git) and collaborative development workflows</li><li>Experience with formal code review processes, static analysis tools, and safety-aware coding practices</li><li>Familiarity with Atlassian suite: Jira, Confluence, Bitbucket</li><li>Familiarity using AI Tools for code generation and review</li></ul><a style="color: #ff0000;" href="https://about.keysight.com/en/jobs/careers_privacy_statement.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Careers Privacy Statement </a> Keysight is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Santa Rosa, CA MIN $143,000 - MAX $238,000.00 No Visa sponsorship is available for this role.

Back to blog

DISCLAIMER

Other Jobs To Apply