Embedded Boot Firmware Architect

Job Title: Embedded Boot Firmware Architect

Experience Level: 1215 years in Embedded Systems Development

Role Overview

We are seeking an accomplished Embedded Boot Firmware Architect with extensive experience in ARM-based bootloader development, secure boot architectures, and hardware bring-up. The candidate will define and drive the boot firmware strategy, ensuring secure, reliable, and optimized startup flows for complex SoCs and automotive-grade ECUs. This role requires strong collaboration across hardware, silicon, and software teams, with responsibility for setting requirements, defining architecture, and guiding implementation in line with functional safety, security, and performance standards.

Key Responsibilities

• Architect, design, and optimize bootloader and BootROM firmware for ARM Cortex-M/R/A based platforms.
• Define requirements and specifications in collaboration with hardware, silicon, and cross-functional engineering teams.
• Lead development and maintenance of secure and measured boot mechanisms, ensuring compliance with ISO 26262, AUTOSAR, FIPS, and NIST standards.
• Implement Secure Boot, TrustZone configurations, fusing, and secure key management for hardware root-of-trust.
• Design and validate low-level hardware initialization (clocks, DDR, Flash, eMMC, NAND/NOR, PCIe) and bring-up flows.
• Debug and analyze hardware/firmware boot issues using JTAG, Lauterbach, oscilloscopes, and logic analyzers.
• Collaborate with silicon and board design teams to align hardware specs with firmware boot requirements.
• Define and integrate firmware update mechanisms (FOTA, A/B partitioning, rollback strategies, and recovery modes).
• Ensure robustness via code reviews, static analysis, unit/integration testing, and adherence to secure coding practices.
• Document bootloader architecture, hardware interaction flows, and provide integration support to stakeholders.
• Mentor engineers and guide architecture reviews.

Required Skills & Qualifications

• 1215 years of experience in embedded firmware/bootloader development with deep expertise in ARMv8 architectures.
• Strong proficiency in C/C++ for embedded systems, with low-level debugging expertise.
• Hands-on experience with BootROM, Secure Boot, Measured Boot, PSA Attestation APIs, and Trusted Firmware-A/M (TF-A/TF-M).
• Strong understanding of hardware specs, silicon bring-up, MMU/MPU configuration, and secure execution environments.
• Familiarity with automotive protocols (CAN, LIN, FlexRay) and RTOS or bare-metal development.
• Exposure to PCIe, MCTP, PLDM, SPDM protocols is a strong plus.
• Proven ability to work across cross-functional teams (hardware, silicon, software, security).
• Knowledge of functional safety (ISO 26262) and platform security principles
• Excellent problem-solving skills in hardware/software co-debugging environments.

Education

• Bachelors or Masters degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical/Electronics Engineering, or related field.