Role Overview As the Principal Firmware Engineer, you will be the technical authority for our smart metering firmware platform. You will lead the architecture and implementation of high-precision measurement algorithms for both Smart Energy (Electricity) and Smart Water meters. Your goal is to ensure "Revenue Grade" accuracy, ultra-low power consumption for 15-year battery life, and secure, robust data communication over utility networks. Key Responsibilities Metrology Core Development: Architect and optimize digital signal processing (DSP) firmware for energy (kWh, kVARh, Harmonics) and water (Ultrasonic or Electromagnetic flow) measurement. Standards Leadership: Direct the implementation of DLMS/COSEM (IEC 62056) and ANSI C12 protocols, ensuring the meters are interoperable with global Head-End Systems (HES). Power Management Strategy: Define the low-power states and "Last Gasp" (power failure notification) logic, ensuring water meters achieve a 15+ year battery lifespan while maintaining continuous sensing. Security & Encryption: Implement advanced security architectures, including AES-GCM-128/256, secure boot, and Hardware Security Module (HSM) integration to protect grid data. Lifecycle Management: Own the strategy for robust Over-the-Air (OTA) firmware updates, ensuring zero-fail deployments for millions of devices in the field. Mentor & Review: Provide high-level code reviews and technical mentorship to the firmware team, establishing MISRA C coding standards and unit testing rigor. Technical Requirements Experience: 10+ years in embedded C/C++ development for high-volume, high-reliability industrial products (specifically Smart Meters). Silicon Expertise: Mastery of TI (MSP430/MSP432/C2000), NXP (Kinetis/LPC), or Microchip (SAM/PIC32), specifically their specialized metrology peripherals (ADCs, Front-ends). Metrology Math: Expert understanding of Phase Compensation, Gain Calibration, and Fast Fourier Transforms (FFT) for harmonic analysis. OS/RTOS: Experience with bare-metal optimization and RTOS environments like FreeRTOS or Zephyr in resource-constrained environments. Communication Stacks: Deep experience integrating wireless stacks (NB-IoT, LoRaWAN, Wi-SUN) with the application layer. Preferred Qualifications In-depth knowledge of the MID (Measurement Instruments Directive) and OIML R49/R46 certification requirements. Experience with Ultrasonic Time-of-Flight (ToF) algorithms for water flow measurement. Familiarity with anti-tamper logic (magnetic field detection, cover-open sensing).
Focus: High-Precision Analog Front-End & Ruggedized Metering Hardware. Role Overview You will lead the hardware design for utility-grade devices that must survive 20 years in harsh environments. Your focus is on the precision of the analog sensing chain and the robustness of the power supply. Key Responsibilities High-Precision Design: Architect the Analog Front End (AFE) for Ultrasonic water sensing or CT/Shunt-based energy measurement with 0.2s Accuracy Class. Ruggedization Lead: Design for extreme conditions, ensuring IP68 (submersible) for water meters and 12kV Surge Protection for energy meters. Certification Ownership: Own the hardware relationship with labs for MID (Measurement Instruments Directive) and OIML certifications. DFM/DFT Strategy: Establish Design-for-Manufacturing and Test protocols for high-volume (million+ units) production lines. Expert Requirements 10+ years in multi-layer PCB design (Altium/Allegro) for industrial/utility products. Expertise in Low-IQ (Quiescent Current) power supply design and lithium battery management. Proven track record of passing CISPR/IEC 61000 EMC testing.
Focus: Massive IoT Deployment & Communication Resilience. Role Overview You will design the communication backbone for millions of smart meters. This involves choosing the right "mix" of technologies to ensure connectivity in the most challenging RF environments. Key Responsibilities Network Architecture: Design the WAN/NAN/HAN hierarchy using a combination of NB-IoT, LoRaWAN, and Wi-SUN RF Mesh. RF System Modeling: Perform link budget analysis and coverage mapping for urban vs. rural deployments. Cybersecurity Leadership: Implement end-to-end encryption (AES-256) and hardware-based Root of Trust to protect utility data. Antenna Innovation: Lead the design of specialized antennas for pit-mounted water meters or meters housed in metal enclosures. Expert Requirements 10+ years in wireless system design and RF hardware integration. Extensive experience with LTE-M, NB-IoT, and Mesh protocols. Familiarity with global regulatory requirements (FCC, RED, PTCRB).