Firmware Engineer

Location: Remote, India

Engagement: Project-based / contract — defined scope for an initial phase, with potential for ongoing work as the project evolves.

We're building a wearable hardware device with its own cellular connection (eSIM), GPS, microphone, onboard flash storage, and an accelerometer for motion-gated sleep/wake. The device operates independently — no dependency on a paired phone for its core functions — using a physical interaction with silent LED feedback to confirm actions.

The board is built on the Nordic nRF9151 and is currently with our manufacturer for fabrication. This is a greenfield embedded codebase — the firmware doesn't exist yet, and this engagement is to build its first working version.

• Embedded C on Zephyr RTOS / nRF Connect SDK for the nRF9151 — drivers, power management, application logic
• Power-mode design : low-power idle (accelerometer-gated wake) and an active mode handling GPS, cellular transmission, and audio capture
• Physical interaction logic : distinct gesture recognition (via onboard button) with corresponding LED confirmation patterns
• Cellular connectivity (LTE-M/NB-IoT) — reliable transmission of data to backend
• GNSS + Assisted GNSS (A-GNSS) — using cellular connectivity to deliver satellite data to the GNSS receiver, reducing time-to-first-fix and improving power efficiency and accuracy
• Audio capture to onboard flash, with upload via cellular
• Basic OTA update mechanism

The full scope and milestones will be defined together at the start of the engagement — this is a focused first phase, not an open-ended commitment. The product has a broader roadmap beyond this phase, which we'll discuss in more depth once we're working together.

• Solid embedded C, with hands-on Zephyr RTOS or nRF Connect SDK experience
• Experience with the nRF9151, nRF9160, or a closely related Nordic cellular SoC — an integrated cellular modem + GNSS + MCU is meaningfully different from working with standalone modules, and this matters here
• Cellular IoT (LTE-M/NB-IoT) experience, including real-world power and connectivity tradeoffs
• Familiarity with or interest in Assisted GNSS (A-GNSS)
• Comfort working independently on a greenfield codebase, with direct access to the hardware/PCB team

• Architectural ownership — you're designing the firmware architecture for a product's first working version, not implementing a pre-written spec. These decisions shape everything that follows.
• Direct collaboration with founders and the hardware team — no layers, no bureaucracy.
• A real product on real hardware — this firmware runs on a device that's already being manufactured.
• Path to long-term involvement — this phase is scoped deliberately, but the product has further phases ahead. If this engagement goes well, we'd be glad to discuss what comes next together.
• Flexible, remote, deliverable-focused.

Competitive, and discussed openly during a formal call — based on scope, experience, and fit.

This device is small enough to wear without a second thought, but built to work when nothing else around you does — no phone, no signal struggles, just a direct line out, the moment it's needed. If you've ever wanted your firmware to matter in the most literal sense — to be the thing standing between someone and the worst moment of their life — this is that kind of project.

We're early, we're small, and we're building something we genuinely believe could change what "safety" means for a lot of people. We'd love for you to be part of getting it right from the start.