Engineer III, Firmware
As the world leader in serving science, our work is more than something that fills our days – what we do has great purpose. Our industry-leading scale means unparalleled commercial reach, unique customer access and a global footprint. Our broad customer base, from research to clinical to commercial production means you can have a broad and meaningful impact here at Thermo Fisher Scientific. All while working in an environment where you will be supported, valued and rewarded for your performance.
Engineer III, Firmware
Job Description
As part of the Thermo Fisher Scientific team, you’ll discover meaningful work that makes a positive impact on a global scale. Join our colleagues in bringing our Mission to life every single day to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We provide our global teams with the resources needed to achieve individual career goals while helping to take science a step beyond by developing solutions for some of the world’s toughest challenges, like protecting the environment, making sure our food is safe or helping find cures for cancer.
Position Summary
We are seeking an Engineer III – Firmware to join a growing R&D team in Hyderabad supporting sustaining engineering, VAVE, and lifecycle management for the KingFisher sample preparation systems and Detection instruments.
In this role, you will be a key individual contributor, owning firmware components and embedded software functionality across instrument platforms. You will develop, debug, and optimize firmware, support system integration, and resolve technical issues, while contributing to product performance, reliability, and cost optimization initiatives.
Key Responsibilities
Firmware Development
- Design, develop, and maintain embedded firmware for instrument control systems (microcontrollers, processors, and peripheral interfaces).
- Own firmware modules and features, including implementation, testing, and documentation.
- Develop and optimize code in C/C++, ensuring performance, reliability, and maintainability.
- Implement and support communication protocols (e.g., I2C, SPI, UART, USB, Ethernet as applicable).
Sustaining Engineering & Lifecycle Support
- Execute sustaining activities including bug fixes, feature updates, and firmware enhancements.
- Perform root cause analysis of field and production issues and implement corrective actions.
- Support firmware validation, verification, and release processes.
Value Analysis / Value Engineering (VAVE)
- Contribute to cost optimization initiatives, including firmware-driven efficiencies and hardware-software trade-offs.
- Support evaluation of alternative components and architectures in collaboration with cross-functional teams.
- Assist in improving system performance and resource utilization.
System Integration & Technical Contribution
- Collaborate with electrical, mechanical, and systems teams to support system integration and debugging.
- Contribute to requirements definition, interface development, and test planning.
- Participate in design and code reviews, providing data-driven technical input.
Global & Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Work with global R&D teams (Finland, US, Singapore) to support knowledge transfer and ongoing product support.
- Partner with manufacturing, quality, and service teams to troubleshoot and resolve field issues.
- Collaborate with Business Unit Product Management to support execution aligned with product priorities.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field.
- 8+ years of experience in embedded firmware development.
- Strong programming skills in C/C++ for embedded systems.
- Experience with microcontrollers, real-time systems, and hardware-software integration.
- Strong skills in debugging, root cause analysis, and problem solving.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with RTOS, device drivers, and low-level hardware interfaces.
- Experience with life sciences or analytical instrumentation.
- Familiarity with firmware development tools, version control systems, and CI/CD pipelines.
- Experience with communication protocols (I2C, SPI, UART, USB, Ethernet).
- Exposure to regulated product development environments.
Impact
- Owns and delivers firmware modules and embedded software solutions.
- Drives execution of bug fixes, enhancements, and validation activities.
- Contributes to system performance, reliability, and product quality.
- Supports the growth of R&D capability in Hyderabad.
