Who we are:
Paradigm Robotics is an Austin, Texas based robotics startup building rugged, scalable robots for situational awareness in hazardous environments. We serve firefighting, emergency response, public safety, oil & gas, defense, and industrial markets. Our mission is to create a new paradigm of scalable, reliable, and useful robots for real-world hazardous operations - providing critical solutions to the most dangerous problems out there.
We've raised an oversubscribed round from top-tier venture firms. We’re working directly with over 80 of the largest fire departments, law enforcement agencies, industrial teams, and military units across the U.S., including the Air Force, Army, and SERDP. Our robots are built with and for firefighters, first responders, warfighters, and emergency crews.
Why this will be challenging, meaningful, and fun work:
We are solving problems that matter. Building robots that operate in fire, heat, debris, water, and chaos is incredibly hard, and building them to scale is even harder. That is why we focus on engineering rigor, rapid iteration, and deep user feedback. We ship real robots into real fires for real customers, which means everyone on the team takes ownership, talks to users, and builds.
We value curiosity, autonomy, and low-ego collaboration, and we celebrate wins while owning mistakes. At the same time, we know how to have fun. From stargazing trips, go-kart races, and off-sites to Tulum, to goldfish pranks that turned into a full aquarium, we work hard and enjoy the ride together. This is a place where you can do your best work, learn a ton, build cool things, and make lifelong friends.
Role:
Embedded Software Engineer [Contractor]
Role Type:
Part-Time or Full-Time
Role Description:
As an Embedded Software Engineer [Contractor] at Paradigm Robotics, you'll support key pieces of the embedded stack that powers our robots in high-risk, mission-critical environments. You'll work on sensor drivers, controls, communications, and edge data processing, with an emphasis on reliability, clarity, and performance under pressure.
You’ll take on scoped projects or systems, either from scratch or as extensions to existing infrastructure, and will be expected to own delivery from design through deployment. This includes validating concepts in simulation or hardware, troubleshooting field issues, and writing documentation others can build on. You'll collaborate closely with internal engineers (electrical, mechanical, and software) to ensure your work integrates tightly and is testable in real-world conditions.
This is a high-trust role. We’re looking for someone who can navigate ambiguity, move quickly, and communicate proactively while delivering clean, practical, and robust embedded solutions.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Design and implement embedded software for robotic platforms, primarily in C/C++
- Develop and integrate drivers for sensors, actuators, radios, and safety-critical interfaces
- Work on microcontroller bring-up, peripheral configuration, and communication protocols (CAN, UART, SPI, I2C, Ethernet)
- Determine video streaming architectures and networking optimizations
- Collaborate on system architecture decisions across hardware and software boundaries
- Build and debug firmware in both simulated and live hardware environments
- Support performance profiling, hardware resource optimization, and timing-critical features
- Write documentation explaining usage, implementation details, and integration expectations
- Provide feedback on hardware decisions that affect software (e.g. pinouts, power constraints)
- Help debug and resolve issues seen during integration or field deployment
- Work independently, report progress clearly, and escalate blockers early
Who we are looking for:
QUALIFICATIONS:
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field
- 3+ years of experience developing embedded software professionally or independently
- Fluent in C or C++ for real-time systems
- Familiarity with bare-metal development or RTOS-based architectures
- Understanding of embedded software constraints (timing, memory, bandwidth, power)
- Experience debugging hardware-software integration bugs and field issues
- Familiarity with basic scripting (e.g. Python or Bash) for tooling or data visualization
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
- Experience with STM32 or other ARM Cortex-M platforms
- Prior exposure to ROS 1 or 2
- Familiarity with networking layers or telemetry systems over wireless or low-bandwidth links
- Comfortable designing and testing fault-tolerant and safety-critical systems
- Experience supporting CI/CD workflows or automated testing in embedded environments
- Previous work on robotic, electromechanical, or field-deployable platforms
- Experience with Git-based development and collaborative reviews
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:
- Available for short sprints of high-priority work, including occasional off-hours during field or test milestones
- Able to work independently while keeping internal stakeholders informed
- Willing to participate in design reviews, issue triage, and systems testing
- Strong communicator who documents decisions, test results, and future recommendations clearly
- Comfortable making tradeoffs and recommendations based on hardware constraints and field realities
Work Environment:
Austin, Texas
In-Person
Monday - Friday/Saturday (5/6 days a week)
20-40+ hours a week
Compensation and Benefits:
$30-$75/hr (Depending on experience)
Flexible Schedule/Unlimited PTO
Free meals, swag, and more!
Contact:
Please contact talent@paradigmrobotics.tech with any questions. Do not send an application through this email - it will not be screened.
At Paradigm Robotics, we believe the best ideas come from working side by side. We're an office-first team because building breakthrough tech that rolls into burning buildings takes tight feedback loops, fast iteration, and real-time collaboration. That said, we trust our team with autonomy. If you need to work from home once in a while, that's totally fine. What matters is that we deliver together.
We're building robots to keep first responders safe and change how emergency response works. To do that, we need a team with a range of perspectives, backgrounds, and lived experiences. We're proud to be an equal opportunity employer and committed to a culture where everyone feels ownership, respect, and belonging. If our mission resonates with you, we’d love to meet you.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $30.00 - $75.00 per hour
Benefits:
- Flexible schedule
- Referral program
- Relocation assistance
Work Location: In person
