Job Title:  Principal Embedded Firmware Engineering

Job Purpose

Alpha Technologies Ltd. is seeking an innovative Principal Embedded Firmware Engineer to lead the development of advanced real-time controls for power converters at our Vancouver (Burnaby) facility. This role requires a technically proficient, hands-on engineer with extensive embedded systems expertise, who can guide complex projects from concept through production.
As a Principal Engineer in a fast-paced organization, you will guide cross-functional teams, influence technical standards, and establish high-performance design practices, ensuring that product development aligns with both technical and business goals.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Lead the design and implementation of power conversion products (e.g., Rectifiers, AC UPS, Converters, Inverters) with real-time controls from concept to production.
• Act as a technical advisor, influencing solutions on complex engineering challenges and leading projects of strategic significance.
• Define detailed product requirements, working collaboratively with project managers and technical leaders to ensure robust, feasible design solutions.
• Produce accurate estimates of firmware development hours for project planning and resource allocation.
• Develop and implement communications protocols in bare metal C for optimized performance and reliability.
• Design and implement bootloaders and field upgrade systems to ensure seamless updates and system integrity.
• Create and optimize microcontroller peripheral drivers, interfacing directly with device registers.
• Design scalable and modular firmware architectures to support multiple product configurations and enhancements.
• Validate real-time control systems using advanced techniques for digital signal processing and control design.
• Perform frequency response analysis (FRA) and phase margin analysis to ensure system stability and performance.
• Establish and maintain coding standards, work instruction processes, and best practices to ensure consistent, high-quality output.
• Mentor junior engineers, providing technical guidance and oversight to support growth within the team.

Qualifications

Educational Background: Advanced Degree (MS or PhD) in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or a related field with 8+ years of relevant experience; or Bachelor’s Degree with 10+ years of experience.
• Technical Expertise:
o Extensive experience with embedded microcontroller systems, real-time control design, and power electronics.
o Extensive experience with digital filter design, fixed-point arithmetic, and SoC peripherals such as ADC, PWM, and comparators.
o Extensive experience with protocols such as CAN, Modbus, USB, and Ethernet.
o Extensive experience with debugging and development tools like oscilloscopes, power meters and logic analyzers.
Desired Qualifications:
• Familiarity with Agile, SCRUM, and R&D environments.
• Proficiency in advanced modeling, simulation, and analysis tools like Matlab/Simulink, SPICE, PSIM, and Python.

Competencies

Proven ability to:

• Be an integral part of high-performance teams in a Positive Business Culture of Innovation and Collaboration
• Contribute as a member of the technical staff on strategic innovation-linked products
• Stay on task, even when conflicting priorities threaten to draw attention elsewhere

Must be capable of working on own initiatives, be self-motivated, and have the ability to meet multiple objectives simultaneously in a collaborative, innovative, and high performance team environment
Detail-oriented, creative, and results driven, with a strong operational mindset; decisive “get it done” and “deliver results” mentality
Customer focused with good relationship building skills
Demonstrated excellent written and verbal communication skills - ability to communicate clearly and concisely to all levels within the organization including formal meetings and presentations.

General Job Requirements