Firmware Development Engineer

Job Summary

Kairos Power is looking for an entry-level firmware engineer to join the Plant Instrumentation, Control & Electrical (IC&E) systems design team. Working under the technical guidance of the Reactor Protection System (RPS) Lead Engineer and experienced team members, this person will develop, test, and document firmware for reactor protection and related plant systems supporting the KP-FHR reactor technology. The role provides hands-on experience with embedded systems, hardware integration, and disciplined development practices for safety-related applications.

Primary Responsibilities

The person will work with an integrated design team to perform the following duties:

• Support firmware development for plant instrumentation and control systems, including:
  1. Safety-related reactor protection systems, including signal acquisition, protection logic, diagnostics, and equipment interfaces.
  2. Related plant investment protection and non-safety control or test systems, as required.
• Implement and debug embedded firmware in C/C++ and support FPGA logic development, as applicable to the selected platform, using approved requirements, designs, and coding practices.
• Assist with firmware requirements, interface definitions, design descriptions, and traceability between requirements, implementation, and verification evidence.
• Develop and execute unit, integration, and regression tests; record results, investigate anomalies, and support independent verification and validation activities.
• Support laboratory hardware bring-up and firmware integration using schematics, component datasheets, debuggers, oscilloscopes, and logic analyzers under appropriate supervision.
• Use version control, configuration management, code reviews, and change control to maintain reproducible builds and documented firmware releases.
• Collaborate with hardware, controls, systems, and test engineers to resolve interface issues and support system testing and commissioning activities as assigned.
• Learn and follow applicable nuclear quality assurance, software lifecycle, and cybersecurity procedures; promptly raise technical concerns and incorporate review feedback.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Software Engineering, or a related technical discipline.
• Entry-level position suitable for recent graduates or candidates with 0–2 years of relevant experience. Coursework, laboratory work, capstone projects, internships, and personal projects are acceptable; prior nuclear industry experience is not required.
• Foundational programming skills in C or C++, with experience developing and debugging software for a microcontroller, embedded processor, or comparable project platform.
• Understanding of digital logic and basic embedded concepts such as memory, interrupts, timers, state machines, and real-time behavior.
• Ability to read technical documentation and basic schematics, troubleshoot methodically, and document designs, test results, and issues clearly.
• Familiarity with version control, such as Git, and basic software testing practices; willingness to work within a documented engineering development process.
• Strong attention to detail, clear communication, and an ability to work collaboratively, ask questions, and learn from technical reviews.
• Preferred exposure through coursework or projects to VHDL/Verilog and FPGA tools, Python test automation, laboratory instruments, or interfaces such as SPI, I2C, and UART.
• Interest in nuclear energy and safety-critical engineering. Familiarity with requirements traceability, verification and validation, or quality assurance is a plus.

The salary range for this position is $92,454 to $108,769 for employees working onsite at our Alameda, CA headquarters. The range provided in this job posting represents the typical range or starting rate of candidates hired in California. Factors that maybe used to determine your actual salary may include your education, experience, knowledge, skills, ability and the market data for your work location, and a comparison to other employees already in the role. 

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