Freelance Lab Test Engineer Jobs in Kansas (NOW HIRING)

Candidate should live within driving distance of the following areas: Wichita, KS; Lawton OK; or Round Rock, TX

Job Purpose/Summary

The Senior Embedded Software Engineer - Linux, SoC & Hardware Integration is the technical bridge between custom hardware and application software. This role turns advanced hardware platforms, FPGA fabric, ASICs, accelerators, and other memory-mapped peripherals into reliable capabilities that higher-level software teams can build on.

This position supports the rapid development of next-generation, AI-enabled hardware and sensor platforms for counter-UAS (cUAS) and multi-sensor applications. The engineer will bring up embedded Linux systems, configure bootloaders and device trees, integrate custom hardware interfaces, and enable high-throughput data paths using DMA, PCIe, AXI, interrupts, and shared memory.

Working closely with electrical, FPGA, RF, DSP, and application software engineers, this role helps transform new hardware concepts into modular, mission-ready capabilities. The ideal candidate will be excited to work in a fast-moving R&D environment, solve challenging hardware/software integration problems, and help build technology that moves quickly from concept to real-world impact.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Bring up embedded Linux on SoCs and custom hardware platforms.
• Build and maintain BSPs, including U-Boot, device trees, kernel configuration, and hardware enablement.
• Integrate FPGA fabric, ASICs, accelerators, PCIe devices, DMA engines, and other custom peripherals.
• Create drivers, user-space interfaces, and hardware abstraction layers for memory-mapped hardware.
• Enable high-throughput, low-latency data movement using DMA, PCIe, AXI or similar interconnects, shared memory, interrupts, and cache-aware buffers.
• Turn register maps and board controls into clean interfaces that application teams can use.
• Work hands-on with hardware, FPGA, RF, DSP, and application engineers to debug new boards and integration issues.
• Use schematics, datasheets, timing diagrams, and lab tools to solve hardware/software problems.
• Develop bare-metal or RTOS firmware for microcontrollers as needed.
• Support lab, field, and test-range validation of cUAS, RF sensor, and multi-sensor platforms.
• Keep bring-up notes, driver documentation, integration guides, and test plans clear and current.

Qualifications

Minimum

• Eligible to obtain a U.S. Security Clearance - U.S. Citizenship required.
• S. in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field, or equivalent experience.
• 5+ years of embedded software experience with custom hardware, SoCs, board bring-up, or related systems.
• Strong C/C++ for embedded systems; comfortable with Python, Bash, or similar scripting.
• Embedded Linux bring-up experience on ARM-based SoCs, FPGA SoCs, or heterogeneous platforms.
• BSP experience with U-Boot or similar bootloaders, device trees, kernel configuration, Yocto, and/or PetaLinux.
• Experience integrating memory-mapped hardware using Linux drivers, user-space frameworks, VFIO/UIO, mmap, or similar approaches.
• Working knowledge of DMA, PCIe, AXI or similar buses, interrupts, IPC, IOMMU/SMMU, cache coherency, and physical/virtual addressing.
• Ability to read schematics and troubleshoot hands-on with hardware designers.
• Clear communicator who documents decisions and works well across engineering disciplines.

Desired

• Experience integrating FPGA-based, ASIC-based, SDR, or other custom hardware with embedded Linux applications.
• Experience with scatter-gather DMA, zero-copy data movement, low-latency/high-throughput streaming, or hardware accelerator pipelines.
• Bare-metal or RTOS firmware experience for STM32, ESP32, or similar microcontrollers.
• RF, SDR, radar, signal-processing, distributed sensor, or counter-UAS experience.
• Ruggedized, outdoor-deployed, low-SWaP, military/aerospace, or mission-critical systems experience.
• Hands-on lab experience with oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, spectrum analyzers, protocol analyzers, or similar tools.
• Active DoD clearance or prior clearance eligibility.

Working conditions

• Employees may be called upon to participate in in-person meetings, trainings, lab work, field activities, or company functions at Knowmadics offices or other designated locations. Travel in support of business operations may also be required, and employees are expected to comply with these obligations as part of their position.
• Candidate should live within driving distance of Wichita, KS; Lawton, OK; or Round Rock, TX, or be able to support hybrid/remote work with in-person attendance as needed.
• Work may occur in office, laboratory, integration, test-range, field, or customer-adjacent environments depending on project needs.
• Some weekend or extended-hour work may be required based on project deadlines, hardware bring-up, testing schedules, field events, or operational needs.
• Estimated travel: less than 10%, with occasional additional travel based on project or field-test requirements.

Physical requirements

• Prolonged periods of remaining in a stationary position at a desk and working on a computer.
• Hands-on work with circuit boards, prototype hardware, lab equipment, cables, tools, computers, and technical equipment in an engineering lab environment.
• Occasional lifting, carrying, or moving of materials, tools, prototype systems, test equipment, or hardware assemblies may be required.

Direct reports

None