Entrylevel Embedded Firmware Engineer Jobs in Newark, NJ

Work Type/Locations: Hybrid in either Jersey City, NJ/Clarksburg, MD/Fairfax, VA, Phoenix, AZ/Panama City, FL

goTenna is the world's leading mobile mesh networking company, providing off-grid connectivity solutions for smartphones and other devices, as well as augmenting traditional communications networks. This technology enables mobile, long-range connectivity without cell, Wi‑Fi, or satellite connectivity. goTenna's products are currently in use by law enforcement, military, and public safety agencies worldwide. goTenna is a wholly owned subsidiary of Forterra, a leading provider of ground autonomy solutions for the US Department of Defense and other organizations.

We'reseeking aNetwork Scientist to work with our CTO, Scientific Advisor, and Product & Engineering teams to develop and extend goTenna’s Aspen Grove mesh networking protocol suite. Responsibilities include architecting, designing, simulating, and helping to implement networking protocols, producing specifications of such protocols and interfaces, and experimentally evaluating performance. The ideal candidates should be passionate about goTenna’s mission, be creative and self‑motivated, and have strong written and oral communication skills. The Network Scientist should display strong critical‑thinking abilities and have a collaborative approach to solving problems, while also being able to work independently when required.

• Designing, implementing, simulating, and analyzing network protocol models.
• Designing cutting‑edge medium access, routing, and transport protocols for mesh networking.
• Constructing models and running simulations in Network Simulator 3 (ns‑3) or similar discrete‑event simulation tool to evaluate, refine, and estimate performance for a variety of scenarios.
• Producing design specifications and experimental analysis reports.
• Understanding the radio hardware and constraints to accurately represent them in models.
• Collaborating with the firmware team to support the implementation in actual radio hardware, including supporting the firmware implementation via simulation results and auxiliary software as appropriate.
• Working with the Product team to determine the feasibility of new features and capabilities.
• Professional activities including publishing at peer‑reviewed conferences, journals and performing committee service.
• Driving cutting‑edge innovation in wireless networking and related technologies, facilitating new idea generation, and patenting inventions.
• Writing company white papers to allow the team and customers to keep up with state‑of‑the‑art developments.
• Supporting troubleshooting of issues found by the QA team, when needed.
• Providing expert‑level protocol know‑how training and support to other teams.

• Advanced degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or a related field and at least one (1) year of relevant experience in Computer Networking, Wireless Mesh Networking, and Network Communications.
• Extensive knowledge of C++ and Python programming languages.
• Experience in Embedded Systems and Network Architecture.
• Developing novel routing solutions for wireless mesh networks using NS‑3 simulation framework.

• Multi‑team or scaled environments with complex dependencies.
• Working in startup or fast‑moving product environments.
• AI‑assisted workflows or developer tooling.
• Working on government‑focused projects.

CLEARANCE ELIGIBILITY - This position may require eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance. For more information about U.S. Security Clearances: click here .

Placement at the appropriate job level (entry, senior, etc) will be determined by a combination of years of experience, demonstration of proficiency in this field, and other qualifications.

goTenna is an equal opportunity employer and we value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

• Equity
• 401(k) plan
• Unlimited PTO
• Parental Leave with Pay
• Medical, Dental, Vision and life insurance
• Short- and Long-term disability plans
• Professional Development Stipend

The pay range for this role is:

130,000 - 160,000 USD per year (Hybrid (Jersey City, NJ))