Senior Firmware Test Engineer

The Opportunity

Cala is seeking a Senior Firmware Test Engineer to join our growing R&D team. You will be responsible for developing, maintaining, and executing pre-DVT (Design Verification Testing) and formal DVT testing across multiple crucial initiatives, bridging both commercial production releases and early-stage clinical trials. This role requires a hands-on engineer who is not only comfortable executing rigorous test protocols but also has the coding proficiency to dive into existing firmware to debug issues, add test hooks, automate test methods, and enable deeper validation features.

Specific Responsibilities:

• Design, develop, and document test tools, methods, and protocols for firmware design verification across multiple active projects, supporting both commercial product releases and clinical studies.
• Build and maintain automated test infrastructure, expanding regression coverage so firmware changes are validated continuously rather than only at formal DVT.
• Work closely with cross-functional engineering teams to develop and bring up new test tools and test methods.
• Leverage coding skills to navigate existing firmware repositories, making necessary changes to debug complex issues, add test hooks, and build in new test features.
• Verify critical subsystem functionalities including electrical stimulation waveforms, BLE communications, OTA-DFU fault handling, sensor measurements, and logging.
• Participate in risk analyses and requirements development in relation to design verification activities
• Use AI tools to extend your own reach: accelerating test script development, making sense of unfamiliar firmware, and drafting documentation.
• Participate in DHF deliverables and design reviews in a phase-gated development process.

Required Skills and Experience

• BS or MS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent field.
• 5–7+ years of experience in embedded firmware testing and design verification.
• Embedded firmware experience, with a strong understanding of how hardware, firmware, and software interact at the system level.
• Proficiency in coding (e.g., C/C++ and Python) with the ability to read, modify, and inject test hooks into bare-metal or RTOS firmware architectures.
• Experience generating, designing to, and testing to product requirements.
• Demonstrated troubleshooting and root cause analysis skills, with comfort using hardware debugging tools such as oscilloscopes.
• Experience writing test protocols, comprehensive test reports, and executing formal Design Verification Testing.
• Excellent written, interpersonal, and team communication skills.
• Prior experience in medical device development, including testing under Design Controls.
• Familiarity with relevant medical device standards, such as IEC 62304, IEC-60601, and ISO 13485.

Nice to Have

• Experience working with external labs for regulatory testing, including EMC, Safety, and FCC certifications.
• Experience supporting devices used in human clinical studies or other regulated research settings.
• Experience testing embedded device interactions with companion mobile apps, desktop tools, or cloud services or cloud services.