About Urban Sky:Urban Sky is a venture‑backed aerospace startup that pioneers utilization of the stratosphere and reimagines the way humans view and analyze the earth. We design, build, operate, and sell stratospheric balloon systems, and the data we collect supports a wide range of applications, from real‑time wildfire monitoring to urban mapping. Our technology is also employed by government customers including the Department of Defense (DoD), NASA, and others. Urban Sky sends flight vehicles to the stratosphere on a weekly basis.Our team consists of engineers, makers, developers, and doers who believe in the power of human potential when passion meets utility within a small, supportive team. At Urban Sky we strive to create a team culture grounded in candor, inclusion, respect and empowerment.We aim to build the next chapter of stratospheric history in Denver and are seeking self‑starting, open‑minded, and hard‑working team members.About The Role:Urban Sky is seeking an Embedded Firmware Engineer to own the technical development and product evolution of our HUSKY bus platform – the backbone of our stratospheric flight systems. HUSKY provides integrated power distribution, Ethernet‑based communications, and onboard compute for our balloon vehicles and customer payloads. This role sits at the intersection of firmware engineering, systems architecture, and product development.As the product lead for HUSKY, you will work closely with the portfolio manager to drive R&D iteration cycles from architecture through validation and handoff to manufacturing. You will also interface directly with defense customers, supporting integration, network accreditation, and cybersecurity compliance requirements. This is a senior, high‑ownership role for an engineer who thrives in a vertically integrated startup where decisions at the firmware layer have direct consequences on flight safety, mission success, and customer outcomes.Key Responsibilities:HUSKY Bus Product OwnershipServe as the technical product lead for the HUSKY bus platform, owning the firmware architecture and driving iterative development cycles in collaboration with the portfolio managerDefine firmware requirements with the portfolio manager, as informed by hardware trade studies, system‑level constraints, and customer mission needsLead design reviews, architecture decisions, and trade space analyses for new HUSKY revisionsManage the transition of validated designs from R&D into the manufacturing pipeline, ensuring design‑for‑manufacturability and documentation completenessMaintain version‑controlled firmware baselines and establish robust release processes and configuration management practicesManage and develop firmware configuration tools to enable an automated customer interfaceEmbedded Firmware DevelopmentDesign, develop, and verify embedded firmware for real‑time systems operating in the stratospheric environment, including power management, communication schemas, network architecture, and compute subsystemsDevelop and maintain firmware for low‑level hardware interfaces including I2C, SPI, UART, CAN, and EthernetImplement and optimize RTOS‑based or bare‑metal firmware for microcontrollers and FPGAs as appropriateEnsure firmware robustness for operation in extreme stratospheric conditions: low temperatures, low pressure, radiation effects, and power constraintsDevelop and execute firmware‑level unit tests, hardware‑in‑the‑loop (HIL) test benches, and integration test proceduresSystems Architecture & Model‑Based DevelopmentDefine and document the HUSKY system architecture, including interface control documents (ICDs), data flow diagrams, and power budgetsApply model‑based systems engineering (MBSE) principles to capture system behavior, manage requirements traceability, and support design verificationDevelop and maintain network topology models covering onboard Ethernet, serial communications, and payload interfacesCollaborate with mechanical and electrical engineers to ensure firmware design is tightly coupled with hardware constraints and thermal/power profilesElectrical Engineering InterfaceLeverage a strong working knowledge of electrical engineering principles to inform firmware design decisions, including signal integrity, power sequencing, and peripheral driver developmentPartner with PCB designers and electrical engineers to review schematics, validate hardware bring‑up, and debug hardware‑firmware interaction issuesParticipate in hardware trade studies and component selection decisions where firmware implications are significantDefense Customer & Cybersecurity SupportServe as a technical point of contact for defense customers integrating with the HUSKY bus, supporting requirements definition, interface documentation, and integration activitiesSupport defense cybersecurity and network accreditation efforts, including Risk Management Framework (RMF) processes, STIGs, and authority‑to‑operate (ATO) activitiesImplement and maintain security controls for networked operational systems, including secure boot, encrypted communications, and access controlInterface with government program offices and defense contractors in a professional and technically credible mannerFlight Safety & ReliabilityDesign firmware with flight safety as a primary constraint, including watchdog management, fault detection and isolation, graceful degradation, and safe‑state behaviorsConduct failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) at the firmware and system level to identify and mitigate riskSupport field operations and anomaly investigations, providing rapid firmware diagnostics and patching as neededMaintain thorough documentation of known failure modes, workarounds, and operational limitationsField Operations & Communications ExercisesSupport field test flights and customer demonstrations, providing on‑site firmware expertise to ensure HUSKY bus systems perform reliably throughout all phases of flight operationsLead network integration communication exercises with defense customers, evaluating security boundaries, verifying data flows across the HUSKY bus, and validating that network segmentation and access controls perform as designed under operational conditionsDocument exercise findings, network architecture decisions, and security boundary assessments; communicate results clearly to both internal engineering teams and defense customer stakeholdersCoordinate with the flight operations team and customer representatives to plan and execute pre‑flight network checkout procedures, ensuring all payload communications and security configurations are verified prior to launchQualifications:5+ years of embedded firmware engineering experience, with at least 2 years in a lead or senior individual contributor capacityProficiency in C and C++ for embedded targets; Python scripting for test automation and tooling is a plusStrong understanding of network topology, including Ethernet, TCP/IP, UDP, and serial communications protocolsDemonstrated experience with systems architecture, requirements development, and interface definitionWorking knowledge of electrical engineering fundamentals sufficient to read schematics, debug hardware, and drive hardware‑firmware co‑designExperience with version control (Git), CI/CD pipelines for embedded targets, and configuration managementExcellent technical communication skills; able to produce clear architecture documents, ICDs, and test reportsSelf‑directed and capable of managing multiple concurrent workstreams in a fast‑paced environmentNice‑to‑Haves/Preferred Skills:Experience with model‑based systems engineering (MBSE) tools such as Cameo, MagicDraw, or equivalentBackground working with defense customers or on DoD programs; familiarity with RMF, CMMC, and ATO processesExperience with cybersecurity controls for networked embedded systems, including NIST SP 800‑171 or STIG complianceFamiliarity with aerospace or high‑altitude platform avionics, including stratospheric balloon, UAS, or small satellite systemsExperience with FPGAs (Xilinx/AMD or Intel/Altera) and HDL development (VHDL or Verilog)Background in power electronics firmware, including battery management, solar charging, or DC‑DC converter controlExperience bringing hardware‑firmware products from R&D through manufacturing transitionStartup or small‑team engineering experienceRequirements:Must be a US Citizen or Permanent ResidentMust be located near Denver, COAbility to obtain and maintain a security clearance may be required for certain programsBenefits:Medical, Vision and DentalUnlimited Vacation DaysParental LeaveCell Phone Bill StipendStock OptionsUrban Sky is required to post this salary range per Colorado law. Your salary will be determined based on your abilities and experience.Colorado Pay Transparency$120,000 — $170,000 USDNOTE: Research suggests that women and BIPOC individuals may self‑select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage anyone who believes that they have the skills and the passion necessary to succeed here to apply for this role.This position may require the candidate to deal with commodities, software, technology, defense articles, and/or technical data which are subject to the Export Administration Regulations and/or the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Additional information may be requested so as to determine whether export authorization is required from the Bureau of Industry and Security and/or the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. If authorization is required, employment will be contingent upon the Company successfully obtaining such authorization from the relevant government agency.Urban Sky is an equal opportunity employer, and we value diversity. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.#J-18808-Ljbffr