Location: Breda, Full-time (40 hours)

Ever thought about making a big difference in the world of renewable energy? Join us at Spark, a Dutch social enterprise transforming the African energy sector. We design smart solar home systems and compact battery products. Your firmware will literally power homes off-grid.

Why you? Because you’re the kind of engineer who loves seeing code prove itself on real hardware—debugging with a scope in one hand and GitLab open in the other.

How? You’ll own the entire firmware stack that runs on our STM32G platform today and on the next MCU tomorrow, ensuring ultra-efficient power-electronics control, safe battery management and seamless integration with our PAYGo ecosystem.

What you will be doing

As our Embedded Firmware Engineer, you will:

• Develop and maintain bare-metal and RTOS-based firmware in C/C++ for STM32G and similar micro-controllers.
• Design control loops for DC-DC converters and battery-management functions, tuning them on real hardware for µA-level idle current.
• Build automated tests and perform hands-on troubleshooting with logic analysers, oscilloscopes and power supplies.
• Collaborate with hardware, mobile-app and cloud teams to optimize end-to-end system performance and release firmware through GitLab CI/CD.
• Drive continuous improvement by analysing field data, proposing firmware optimizations and documenting best practices.

Quote: “I love how implementing small improvements in firmware can result in thousands of hours of access to energy.” — Thomas, Test Engineer

What you will bring

• 5+ years of professional embedded firmware experience (C/C++, STM32 or similar MCUs).
• Proven track record of closing tricky bugs independently and collaborating with others.
• Solid knowledge of power‑electronics topologies and control (PWM).
• Confident with electronic lab equipment and schematic‑level debugging.
• Familiarity with GitLab, CI pipelines and code review best practices.
• Professional proficiency in English.

Other skills you’ll bring:

Curiosity, pragmatism, and a drive to ship reliable code.

Do you feel you don’t match every single bullet point? That’s okay – we encourage you to apply anyway, if you believe you’d be a great fit for this role and can help us achieve our mission. We are proud to be an environment with more than 10 nationalities, embracing diverse perspectives and creating a workplace where everyone feels they belong. Your unique background and experience could be exactly what we need to make a difference.

Perks of working with us:

• A salary that matches your experience (€5500 – €6500 gross per month) and 8% vacation pay.
• €500, - a year to spend on your professional development.
• Travel allowance, fresh daily lunches, snacks, monthly drinks and an informal office in a nice location near Breda station.
• A multicultural, international and welcoming team environment with colleagues in the Netherlands, Africa, and China, 15 nationalities. Our diversity brings us closer and makes us better.
• Plenty of chances to take on more responsibility, like managing sub-funds or leading a team.
• You'll have the autonomy to work on projects that spark your interest and get the chance to be part of a movement that's changing lives.

The recruitment process

• Meet Thomas (Testing Engineer) & Evan (Technology Director) to dive deeper into your skills and the cultural match.
• An assignment to get better insights in your way of working, and for you to get better insights into what to expect of the job.
• A more in-depth second interview in person with Evan (Technology Director) & Marcel (Managing Director) at our Breda office.

About Spark

Spark is building the ecosystem for tomorrow's energy networks, and that's an interesting challenge. There is so much to do. We are constantly adding distributors in new countries to our network. Spark Kits are made for every market. Emerging markets are where off-grid technology has the most potential and impact. We are continuously developing innovative product solutions that we sell to local distributors in Africa. We are building our own software platform to facilitate payments over time, so we can reach people at the bottom of the pyramid. Our growth ambitions are serious because we are here to make a lasting impact.