Control/Firmware Engineer

About Avestec

Avestec is a Vancouver-based technology company specializing in advanced flying robotic systems for industrial inspection. We design, develop, and manufacture proprietary UAVs that operate in challenging environments, delivering innovative inspection solutions to clients across the energy sector.

Position Overview

We are looking for a motivated Junior Engineer to join our robotics team and support the full lifecycle of our UAV systems—from firmware configuration to QC, and flight testing. This role is ideal for someone who wants hands-on experience with drones, embedded systems, and real-world robotics deployment.

You will work directly with senior engineers to configure onboard computers and embedded controllers, test newly assembled drones, perform troubleshooting, and participate in field flight tests.

Key Responsibilities

Firmware, Controls & Integration

- Configure, program, and validate firmware for onboard companion computers and driver boards.

- Deploy and debug Python/C++ applications running on Linux-based embedded systems.

- Integrate sensors, communication modules, and control peripherals (I2C, UART, SPI, Ethernet).

- Support development and tuning of control algorithms and system parameters.

- Writing test plans and verification plans and documenting results.

Manufacturing Support & QC

- Perform system bring-up for newly assembled drones (initial power-up, parameter configuration, calibration).

- Conduct bench tests including motor tests, sensor validation, communication checks, and functional QC.

- Maintain documentation for configuration steps, QC checklists, and troubleshooting guides.

- Work closely with the manufacturing team to ensure consistent build quality.

Testing & Troubleshooting

- Operate basic lab equipment: power supplies, DMMs, oscilloscopes, logic analyzers.

- Diagnose hardware/software issues and contribute to root-cause analysis.

- Support indoor and outdoor flight tests, collect logs, and assist with post-flight analysis.

Continuous Improvement

- Identify issues in manufacturing or integration processes and recommend improvements.

- Contribute to automation tools/scripts to streamline QC and configuration steps.

- Maintain high safety and quality standards during assembly, testing, and flight operations.

Required Qualifications

- Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechatronics, or related field.

- Strong knowledge of Linux for development and system configuration.

- Solid programming skills in Python; familiarity with C++ is a strong asset.

- Understanding of embedded systems fundamentals.

- Basic experience with communication interfaces: I2C, UART, SPI, Ethernet.

- Hands-on experience with lab tools: Power supply, DMM, logic analyzer, oscilloscope (basic level).

Preferred Skills

- Experience with UAVs, robotics, or embedded devices.

- Knowledge of ROS, PX4, ArduPilot, or other autopilot frameworks.

- Experience with Git, Docker, CI/CD tools.

- Comfort working in fast-paced hardware+software environments.

- Interest in flight controls, SLAM, sensor fusion, or real-time systems.

Job Types: Full-time, Fixed term contract

Contract length: 12 months

Pay: $4,500.00-$5,500.00 per month

Work Location: In person