[Remote] Lead Embedded Firmware Engineer (IoT) - Contractor
Note: The job is a remote job and is open to candidates in USA. Very is a fully distributed technology firm that specializes in creating efficient, scalable solutions for commercial, industrial, and consumer products. They are seeking a Lead Embedded Firmware Engineer with extensive experience in embedded development to take ownership of the device firmware stack and collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver production-ready devices.
Responsibilities
- Developing production-grade firmware for connected devices from bring-up through production deployment and ongoing maintenance
- Own firmware development across the full device lifecycle, including schematic review, board bring-up, driver integration, OTA updates, and certification readiness
- Participate in hardware debugging and validation using tools such as JTAG/SWD, logic analyzers, and protocol sniffers to diagnose low-level issues across firmware, hardware, and network layers
- Collaborate closely with hardware engineers and cross-functional teams to deliver production-ready devices
- Debug complex, real-world interoperability issues across Matter ecosystems (Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa), requiring deep protocol-level understanding and hands-on problem solving
Skills
- 10+ years professional embedded/firmware engineering in C/C++
- Significant experience with either: Espressif ESP32 platforms using ESP-IDF, or Nordic nRF-series platforms using nRF Connect SDK including RTOS-based development, OTA update mechanisms, low-level driver integration (I2C, SPI, UART, ADC, GPIO), and production firmware deployment
- Direct, demonstrable experience developing connected-device firmware on modern wireless platforms such as ESP32 or Nordic nRF-series devices, including Bluetooth Low Energy, Wi-Fi, Thread, Zigbee, Matter, or related connectivity technologies
- Hands-on experience with wireless communication stacks such as BLE, Wi-Fi, Thread (802.15.4), Zigbee, or Matter at the firmware level
- Experience debugging protocol-level communication issues, wireless connectivity problems, device provisioning flows, and interoperability challenges in connected-device ecosystems
- Familiarity with embedded security concepts such as secure boot, flash encryption, key management, device attestation, and secure firmware updates
- Comfortable reading specs (Matter, Thread, 802.15.4) and translating them into working firmware
- Must reside in Colombia
- Must be authorized to work without sponsorship on a permanent basis
- Experience with Matter protocol implementation
- Contributions to open-source Matter, ESP-IDF, or nRF Connect SDK projects
- Experience taking a Matter device through CSA certification
- Background in adjacent protocols — Zigbee, Z-Wave, BLE Mesh — demonstrating breadth across the connected device landscape
- History of working in a consultancy or product development firm where they've shipped across multiple product lines, not just one internal product
- Comfort with hardware debug toolchains — JTAG/SWD, logic analyzers, protocol sniffers
- Experience standing up CI/CD for firmware builds and automated test harnesses
Company Overview