Description

Senior Embedded Software/Firmware Engineer, Power Conversion
Redwood City, CA

Tau is a venture-backed advanced technology company based in the Bay Area (Redwood City, CA). We design and develop next-generation products for electrification, constantly pushing the boundaries of innovation. The company was started because we believe the key to a more sustainable future requires modern power conversion systems to increase the security of the world’s energy. We have pioneered technologies that leverage software-enabled hardware to provide industry-leading scale, economics, and efficiencies. Our systems include innovations across electric machines, inverters, controllers, thermal management, simulation, and charging systems.

Tau's team of engineers, scientists, technologists, operators, and industry leaders continues to advance our internal technology roadmap while collaborating with commercial partners to deploy our existing products to market. They are relentlessly pursuing the creation of efficient power conversion systems for a more sustainable future. At our core, Tau is made of exceptionally talented and mission-aligned people. Developing complex electromechanical systems is an interdisciplinary challenge.  We want to expand our team with diverse engineering, scientific, and operational expertise.
About you

We are looking for people who aren't afraid to take on new challenges and are as passionate about energy and electrification as we are:

You find significant challenges exciting and enjoy discovering and defining problems as much as solving them.
You deliver. You may enjoy thoughtful conversations about problems and perfecting design, but ultimately, you know that delivering innovative, effective, and reliable solutions matters.
You are a cross-disciplinary team member. You are excited to work with, learn from, and contribute to technology teams ranging from electromagnetics, power electronics, controls systems, mechanical, materials, software, computational physics, and beyond.

About The Role
Tau Motors seeks a highly skilled and experienced Senior Engineer to join our embedded software team. You will lead the development of our embedded systems, driving significant enhancements in software performance, capability, safety, robustness, and reliability for our power conversion and control systems. Your role will involve developing and implementing advanced algorithms and controllers for embedded systems that manage energy and power across various applications, ranging from vehicles to energy systems. Additionally, you will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to define, develop, and integrate critical capabilities, ensuring the safe, robust, and efficient operation of high-voltage systems. The high-quality embedded code you’re responsible for creating will power Tau's cutting-edge power electronics platform.

What You'll Do

• Define the software architecture, create design requirements, and implement specifications while working with multiple stakeholders to develop robust and efficient power converters and systems.
• Develop high-quality embedded code (C) and algorithms for controlling energy and power management features and applications for our programs.
• Apply an excellent understanding of coding standards (MISRA), functional safety (ISO 26262), software/firmware compliance, and regulatory requirements for automotive, energy, and related industries.
• Implement continuous improvements/development (CI/CD) and best practices within the team and the larger organization.
• Work with cross-functional teams to define, develop, and integrate software into hardware and systems. Collaborate with control engineers and technical domain experts to implement advanced algorithms and data structures in a testable, scalable, modular fashion. Learn from and mentor others in a complex systems environment.
• Lead technical meetings with team members and management to review system design, software architecture, feature performance, and progress.
• Write embedded test code for testing all software components in an ECU (Electronic Control Units), from HAL (Hardware Abstraction Layer) all the way up to the application, using unit, SIL, and physical HIL tests.
• Test plans and experiments, guiding and supporting cross-functional teams to achieve design & validation goals.
• Participate in code reviews during development sprints. 
• Provide technical feedback to drive high-quality designs.

US Salary Information
Tau is committed to paying competitive compensation that is fair and equitable. Your experience, qualifications, training, critical skills, and/or business considerations determine your compensation. We also offer a comprehensive benefits package that may include an annual performance bonus, equity, and other incentive compensation plans considered part of Tau’s total compensation package. To learn more about our top-tier benefits, please visit www.taumotors.com. The level will depend on the candidate’s experience. Our ideal candidate exhibits a can-do attitude and approaches his or her work with vigor and determination. Candidates will be expected to demonstrate excellence in their respective fields and possess the ability to learn quickly within a fast-paced environment.

Requirements

What You’ll Bring

• Strong verbal and written communication skills, a preference for working in teams, and a passion for delivering high-quality outcomes
• Expert-level knowledge of embedded firmware development in C or C++., familiarity with TI and Infineon MCUs
• Experience using debuggers, oscilloscopes, JTAG, logic analyzers, etc., digital bus (SPI, I2C, CAN, LIN, and Ethernet) with communication protocols (UDS, XCP, DOIP, and TCP/IP).
  Best practices and disciplines for software engineering, as well as hands-on experience with developing and troubleshooting embedded hardware and complex systems.
• Proven record in software product development with diverse and ambiguous requirements.
• Ability to identify and resolve conflicting requirements.
• Established experience with design and implementation for power conversion, motion control, and applications of hardware drivers for power electronics.
• A validation mindset to see firmware throughout the software lifecycle, particularly with validation and maintenance of architecture.
• Understanding of control system model development, tradeoffs of manual and auto code generation, and large-scale data analysis (Python/MATLAB).

Preferred Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechatronic engineering, or equivalent degree with a focus on control systems.
• 5+ years’ experience in embedded programming in C or C++.
• 3+ years’ experience in using Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS) such as FreeRTOS, SafeRTOS, or Zephyr
• Familiarity with Distributed Real-Time Systems (DRTS).
• Proven ability and in-depth understanding of hardware and software interface design.
• Industry experience in implementing production firmware and software solutions that are modular, easy to integrate, and releasable to customers and commercial partners
• Solid knowledge of Git, bug tracking software (Jira or other), and peer review workflows

Desired Skills

• HIL/SIL capability, AUTOSAR, and Comfort developing both RTOS and bare metal solutions.
• While not a prerequisite for this role, experience with high-voltage systems could be particularly beneficial for specific project areas within our team