Embedded Systems Engineer
Bright Silicon Technologies | Pleasanton, CA | Full time
About the Role
Bright Silicon Technologies (BST) is developing precision optical systems around our Lightfield Directing Array (LDA), a solid-state beam-steering technology. Our projects include OCTANE, a free-space laser communications terminal that connects moving platforms through high-data-rate optical links.
We’re looking for an early-career Embedded Systems Engineer with proficiency in C/C++, an understanding of operating system fundamentals, and hands-on experience using laboratory instruments to bring up and test hardware. The role spans platform software, real-time firmware, device drivers, hardware bring-up, system integration, and testing.
You’ll work closely with electrical, controls, communications, photonics, and software engineers to turn early prototypes into dependable integrated systems. As part of a small team, you’ll tackle varied engineering problems, learn unfamiliar technologies, and take ownership of your work with support from experienced colleagues.
What you’ll do
- Develop and debug C and C++ firmware and embedded software for device control, data acquisition, and communications.
- Work with electrical engineers to bring up new hardware and diagnose problems across electronics, firmware, and software.
- Use oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, debuggers, protocol analyzers, and other laboratory instrumentation to measure system behavior and investigate timing, signal, performance, and reliability problems.
- Help integrate sensors, actuators, and other subsystems. Work with controls, communications, and photonics engineers to test algorithms and interfaces on target hardware.
- Strengthen automated builds, hardware testing, and release practices. Make software configurations reproducible and failures easier to diagnose as systems move from the lab toward deployment.
What we’re looking for
- Experience writing and debugging multithreaded C and C++ programs, with a solid understanding of pointers, memory and object lifetime, data structures, and practices for writing readable, maintainable, and testable code.
- An understanding of operating system fundamentals, with a strong intuition of how scheduling, interrupts, and execution timing affect program behavior.
- Familiarity with microcontrollers or other embedded platforms and device interfaces such as SPI, I2C, UART, or Ethernet.
- Experience with hands-on hardware debugging - interpreting schematics, working with device documentation, and using debuggers, oscilloscopes, or logic analyzers to trace a problem to its cause.
- A degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
Preferred Qualifications
- Familiarity with FPGA RTL development for timing, control, data acquisition, or digital interfaces.
- Experience working with processor–FPGA systems or developing software interfaces to FPGA-based hardware.
- Experience with precision instruments, robotics, lidar, optical systems, or communications hardware.
- Familiar with Python or other scripting languages for test automation and lab tools; familiarity with MATLAB-based algorithm development and the work needed to deploy algorithms on embedded targets.
- Hardware-in-the-loop testing, field diagnostics, or maintaining shared embedded components across multiple products.
Don't meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At BST we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive and authentic workplace, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.
Why BST
- Help shape the embedded software behind a new optical technology, with work spanning hardware bring-up, system integration, and deployment.
- Lead through hands-on engineering and collaboration with experienced colleagues in software, electronics, controls, precision mechanisms, and optics.
- Take meaningful technical ownership in an engineer-led company with competitive compensation, equity, and a sustainable approach to work.
Company Overview
At Bright, we build precision optical systems to guide data for a new era of communication. Our team combines precision engineering, optical design, and product development to commercialize the Lightfield Directing Array. Applications include laser communications, optical switching for data centers, lidar, and additive manufacturing.
Founded in 2020, Bright Silicon Technologies is building an enduring technology manufacturing company. You’ll contribute to the development, launch, and scaling of advanced optical products. We offer competitive salaries and equity incentives, and we value effective engineering alongside long-term work/life balance.
Our benefits include:
- Equity Incentive Plan
- Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, along with other voluntary benefits
- 3% employer contribution to employee 401(k)
- Development and career growth opportunities
- Generous paid time off and paid company holidays
Equal Employment Opportunity
Bright Silicon Technologies is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, association with a member of a protected class, bereavement leave, color, disability (physical, intellectual/developmental, or mental health/psychiatric), exercising the right to family care and medical leave related to serious health condition of employee or family member, child bonding, or military exigencies, engaging in protected activity, gender identity or expression, genetic information or characteristic, marital status, medical condition (cancer or genetic characteristic), military and veteran status, national origin (includes language restrictions), pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions, Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL), race (includes hairstyle and hair texture), religious creed (includes dress and grooming practices), reproductive health decision making, sex/gender, and sexual orientation.
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