[Hiring] Senior Embedded Firmware Engineer @Very

Role Description

We are seeking a senior firmware engineer with 10+ years of professional embedded development experience who has deep expertise in Matter protocol implementation on Espressif’s ESP32 platform using ESP-IDF. This role requires end-to-end ownership of the device firmware stack, from schematic review and board bring-up through production firmware, OTA, and certification.

What You’ll Be Working On:

• Developing production-grade firmware for Matter-enabled devices from bring-up to certification.
• Owning firmware development across the full device lifecycle, including:
  • Schematic review
  • Board bring-up
  • Driver integration
  • OTA updates
  • Certification readiness
• Participating in hardware debugging and validation using tools such as JTAG/SWD, logic analyzers, and protocol sniffers.
• Collaborating closely with hardware engineers and cross-functional teams to deliver production-ready devices.
• Debugging complex, real-world interoperability issues across Matter ecosystems (Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa).

Qualifications

• 10+ years professional embedded/firmware engineering in C/C++.
• Significant experience with ESP-IDF — real ESP-IDF work: CMake/Kconfig build system, partition tables, NVS, OTA frameworks, FreeRTOS task management, and low-level driver integration (I2C, SPI, UART, ADC, GPIO).
• Direct, demonstrable work implementing Matter on ESP32-series silicon (ESP32, ESP32-C3, ESP32-S3, or ESP32-H2) using Espressif's ESP-Matter SDK or the upstream Connectedhomeip stack.
• Hands-on with at least one Matter transport at the firmware level — Wi-Fi or Thread (802.15.4).
• Experience debugging commissioning flows, interop failures, and protocol-level issues across ecosystems (Apple Home, Google Home, Alexa).
• Familiarity with secure boot, flash encryption, and device attestation in the Matter context.
• Comfortable reading specs (Matter, Thread, 802.15.4) and translating them into working firmware.

Requirements

• Must reside in Costa Rica.
• Must be authorized to work without sponsorship on a permanent basis.

Strong Signals

• Contributions to open-source Matter or ESP-IDF repositories.
• Experience taking a Matter device through CSA certification.
• Background in adjacent protocols — Zigbee, Z-Wave, BLE Mesh.
• History of working in a consultancy or product development firm where they've shipped across multiple product lines.
• Comfort with hardware debug toolchains — JTAG/SWD, logic analyzers, protocol sniffers.
• Experience standing up CI/CD for firmware builds and automated test harnesses.

Skills

• Can debug complex firmware and hardware interactions under real-time constraints.
• Comfortable working with incomplete specifications and ambiguous device behavior.
• Take ownership of problems end-to-end, from root cause analysis through production resolution.
• Communicate clearly with both technical and non-technical stakeholders in a client-facing environment.

This Role Is Likely NOT a Fit If

• Your ESP32 experience is limited to Arduino IDE or PlatformIO hobby projects.
• Your Matter knowledge is purely theoretical or limited to running the chip-tool demo.
• You don’t have experience with real-time debugging or protocol-level troubleshooting.
• You have only worked on a single long-lived product with no exposure to bring-up or new platform work.

Compensation

• USD $60 per hour (may be negotiable based on experience).

Contract & Scope

• Independent contractor engagement.
• Expected commitment: 30–40 hours per week.

Why Work for Very

We do not promise an easy ride — we promise meaningful work. We work hard because our clients’ success depends on it, and we take pride in delivering when others can’t. We collaborate closely, move fast, and stay grounded in results. We take joy in the process — in the problem-solving, the iteration, and the shared wins that come from doing the hard things well.

If you’re looking for a place where every project matters, where the standards are high, and where you’ll grow by pushing yourself and others — welcome to Very.