Software Engineer (R&D Hardware Tooling)

Job description

ABOUT US Harmattan AI is a next-generation defense prime building autonomous and scalable defense systems. Following the close of a $200M Series B, valuing the company at $1.4 billion, we are expanding our teams and capabilities to deliver mission-critical systems to allied forces. Our work is guided by clear values: building technologies with real-world impact, pursuing excellence in everything we do, setting ambitious goals, and taking on the hardest technical challenges. We operate in a demanding environment where rigor, ownership, and execution are expected. ABOUT THE ROLE As Harmattan AI parallelly scales several complex hardware programs—including ruggedized drone controllers, long-range RF systems, field-deployable launchers, and the UAVs themselves—we are establishing a dedicated R&D Hardware Tooling team. This team is responsible for building internal tools that live in the lab and within engineering workflows, enabling product teams to design, bring up, characterize, and validate hardware faster and with absolute confidence. In this role, you will own the software and embedded layers of this tooling end-to-end. This is a high-impact, fast-iteration position where your tools directly dictate development velocity. Furthermore, as one of the initial hires, there is a clear path to grow into a Team Lead role based on experience and performance. RESPONSIBILITIES - Tooling Software Architecture: Design reusable, modular automation and analysis frameworks (typically Python-based) utilized across all product programs. - Instrument & Fixture Control: Integrate bench instruments and custom fixtures using SCPI/VISA, serial, USB, GPIB, and Ethernet, abstracting device drivers for team-wide reuse. - Embedded Fixture Firmware: Write and maintain robust firmware (bare-metal and/or RTOS) for MCU-based development and validation fixtures handling I/O, signal generation, and measurement. - Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL): Build HIL and development rigs, integrating them seamlessly into CI pipelines for automated firmware regression tracking. - Data Acquisition & Analysis: Capture, store, and surface critical measurement data via databases, dashboards, and analysis scripts to enable data-driven design decisions. - Bring-up & Debug Support: Build specialized bring-up scripts and debug utilities to support product engineering teams directly at the bench. - Protocol Implementation: Implement and debug hardware communication interfaces including SPI, I2C, UART, USB, CAN, and RF/link interfaces. - Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner daily with tooling hardware and mechanical engineers to define fixture interfaces and support rig bring-up, while translating product team needs into reliable tooling. - Documentation: Maintain comprehensive architecture documents, validation procedures, and usage guides. CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS Educational Background - Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Embedded Systems, Computer Science, or an equivalent technical field. Core Technical Competencies & Experience - Proven Test & Automation Experience: Demonstrated success building bench automation, HIL/development rigs, or characterization tooling for real physical hardware. - Software & Automation Skills: Strong proficiency in Python automation (using pytest or equivalent frameworks) and instrument control via SCPI/VISA. - Embedded Firmware: Confident writing embedded C/C++ on microcontrollers (typically ARM Cortex-M), spanning both bare-metal environments and RTOS architectures (e.g., FreeRTOS, Zephyr). - Hardware Debugging: Hands-on experience with hardware bring-up and bench debugging tools such as oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and JTAG/SWD interfaces. - Protocols & Infrastructure: Solid understanding of communication buses (SPI, I2C, UART, USB, CAN) alongside version control and CI pipelines. Professional Attributes & Mindset - Rigorous & Systems-Minded: Possesses a disciplined approach to measurement integrity, clean code, and understanding both the firmware under development and the instruments measuring it. - Autonomous & Pragmatic: Capable of independently driving software architecture decisions while balancing robustness with rapid project execution. - Adaptability & Execution: Thrives in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, bringing a "no-task-is-too-small" mentality to a lean engineering team. - Strong Communication & Collaboration: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; able to work seamlessly across hardware, mechanical, and product software domains without friction. Desirable Pluses - Experience within drone/UAV development, RF/radio systems, or telecommunications hardware. - Prior experience deploying CI-integrated HIL testing systems. - Experience working in ruggedized, military, or industrial-grade hardware environments. We look forward to hearing how you can help shape the future of autonomous defense systems at Harmattan AI.