Contract Firmware Engineer Jobs in Colorado (NOW HIRING)

Reports to: VP of Engineering
Location: Onsite in Boulder, CO
About Emporia Energy
Emporia is a leading technology company revolutionizing home energy by providing affordable, integrated solutions that empower homeowners to optimize energy usage to reduce costs and carbon footprint. Emporia's Home Energy Management Platform is a powerful software system that connects their Vue Home Energy Monitor, Level 2 EV Charger, Smart Plugs, Home Battery, and third-party thermostats and appliances. By automating energy use through real-time monitoring and scheduling, the platform optimizes consumption, reduces costs, and simplifies home energy management-all within one intuitive app. With over 400,000 U.S. homes running Emporia's energy management and EV charging hardware, we are now launching a national Third-Party Owned (TPO) home battery Virtual Power Plant - placing industrial-rated home batteries in residential homes to deliver power redundancy, utility cost savings, and grid peak demand services. By reducing energy waste and saving customers money, we're helping create a healthier planet and a brighter future. For more information, visit emporiaenergy.com.
Mission, Vision and Values
Emporia was founded in 2018 with a clear purpose to revolutionize home energy, generate tangible customer savings, and accelerate the transition to a lower carbon future. We are striving to become the world's leading home energy management platform and build the largest virtual power plant.

• Customers First: We deliver exceptional service with empathy and responsiveness, building lasting trust in every interaction.
• Own the Outcome: We think like owners, taking responsibility for results and holding ourselves and each other accountable.
• Win Together: We succeed together through honesty, humility and humanity.
• Grit Gets it Done: We work hard, stay passionate, and persevere through challenges.
• Better Every Day: We challenge the status quo, take smart risks and aim to improve 1% every day.

About the Role
Our Hardware Engineering team is seeking a Test Engineer to conduct hardware testing across our EVSE product line and new products in development, while also contributing to sustaining engineering activities. The ideal candidate brings experience in all phases of hardware test; from requirements tracking and test plan development through fixture design, in-house and out-of-house test execution, combined with hands-on sustaining engineering skills including field failure investigation, root cause analysis, and minor PCBA design changes.
This role will partner closely with external test labs, contract manufacturers, automotive OEM customers, and internal firmware, electrical and mechanical teams. Experience with high-power AC and DC electrical systems and custom PCBA design is desired but an eagerness to learn and adapt in a fast-paced environment is required. We are a small, collaborative team where versatility and ownership are highly valued.
Responsibilities
Electrical Test Engineering (75%)

• Own both in-house test equipment, methods, documentation, and execution.
• Work with engineering and factory test teams to develop overall product test strategies to help turn prototype designs into production units.
• Validate new product features in collaboration with the engineering team.
• Work closely with our in-house compliance team on definition of required pre-screens and risk reduction testing for UL, FCC, and other standards.
• Contribute to requirements tracking and verification, including verification method determination.
• Develop test profiles for reliability and accelerated environmental testing including thermal fatigue, thermal shock, corrosion/weathering, and ingress testing.
• Generate high-quality reports to share test results and analysis with customers and internal stakeholders.
• Assist design engineers with development testing as needed.

Sustaining Engineering (25%)

• Perform detailed engineering testing of RMA units coordinating with customer support and engineering teams as necessary
• Execute root cause analysis on field failures and present findings and recommended mitigations to triage teams, design engineers, and management.
• Make targeted electrical design changes for minor improvements to existing products, including obsolete component replacements and corrections identified through failure analysis.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with firmware, mechanical, quality and manufacturing engineers as required.

Required Skills & Qualifications
Required

• 4 or more years of experience developing and executing test plans for complex products as a test engineer, electrical engineer, or related role.
• Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering (BSEE)
• Competence with test equipment such as oscilloscopes, grid Simulators/Programmable AC Sources, electronic loads, current-probes and power analyzers
• Experience with test automation scripting (e.g., Python) for data acquisition and control.
• Ability to leverage AI tools to speed up test automation, embedded development and documentation.
• Familiarity with modern analog and digital electronics and electronic circuits.
• Experience in testing and debugging for signal integrity / power integrity.
• Familiarity with standard interfaces such as Ethernet, CAN, I2C, SPI, USB, etc..
• Ability to read and understand electrical schematics and ECAD data; experience developing in-house test systems including test racks and harnessing.
• Demonstrated experience managing workload and project deliverables.
• Strong writing, interpersonal, and communication skills.

Desired

• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering (MSEE)
• Knowledge of automotive communication protocols and standards (ISO 15118-2, J1772)
• Familiarity with UL safety test standards such as UL 2231-1/2
• Experience with certification testing including UL, FCC, and Energy Star
• Familiarity with National Electric Code wiring and installation requirements
• Ability to perform MTBF analysis
• Familiarity with switching converters, inverters, and AC/DC power distribution.
• Experience with high-power AC electrical systems (3-phase and split-phase 240V) and high-voltage DC power systems
• Desire to design low-complexity PCBAs, including schematic capture and layout in Altium Designer or equivalent.
• Experience testing and debugging Level 2 EV chargers
• Experience testing high-volume consumer products
• Experience working with automotive OEMs and managing deliverables for their product development processes

What We Offer
Compensation: The expected base salary range is $120,000 - $160,000, plus stock options. The offered salary will depend on numerous factors, including but not limited to work experience, skills, and internal equity considerations. The base salary does not include benefits or other incentives.
Benefits: medical/dental/vision insurance, 401(k), employee stock option program, paid holidays plus unlimited PTO, discounts on Emporia products and partner offerings
Career Growth: Be part of a fast-growing company at the forefront of home energy innovation.
Emporia Energy is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, ancestry, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, disability, gender identity, results of genetic testing, service in the military, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. We will make reasonable accommodations for any qualified applicant with a disability, provided that the individual is otherwise qualified to safely perform the essential functions of the job with or without accommodation and that the accommodation would not impose an undue hardship on the operation of our business. Please let us know if you believe you require reasonable accommodation, or if you would like assistance to complete an application or to participate in an interview at the company.
New employees will be required to successfully complete a background check.
Any communication to applicants relating to the Emporia Energy hiring process will only come from email addresses with the domains emporiaenergy.com or no-reply@us.greenhouse-mail.io. If in the course of the application or hiring process with Emporia Energy you are contacted through another domain, are requested to provide banking or other sensitive information, or you note any other suspicious activity, please contact cybersecurity@emporiaenergy.com.