Electrical Engineer – Embedded Programming; Hardware Simulators​/HIL Testbeds

Overview

We’re seeking an Electrical Engineer with strong embedded programming skills to design, build, and maintain hardware simulators and hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testbeds used to validate real-world systems before they reach the lab, range, or field. You’ll work at the intersection of electronics, firmware, and test automation; creating simulation hardware, interface boards, and real-time control/monitoring software that makes system testing faster, safer, and more repeatable.

If you enjoy hands‑on lab work, debugging across hardware + firmware boundaries, and building tools that other engineers rely on every day, this role will feel right.

Pay Range $104,000 - $182,000

The pay range for this position is a general guideline only and not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, geographic location, and any applicable laws

• Design and integrate hardware simulators that replicate real equipment behavior in a lab environment.
• Develop embedded software/firmware to control simulator hardware, generate stimuli, capture telemetry, and implement real‑time behaviors.
• Build and maintain HIL testbeds: wiring, configuration management, automated bring‑up, calibration, and test execution workflows.
• Create test utilities and automation (Python/C/C++ preferred) to run scenarios, log data, generate reports, and support regression testing for hardware.
• Design interface circuitry and harnessing for common buses and I/O (e.g., SPI/I2C/UART/CAN, Ethernet, GPIO, ADC/DAC, PWM, discretes).
• Use lab instrumentation (oscilloscope, logic analyzer, spectrum analyzer) to debug timing, signal integrity, and protocol‑level issues.
• Author clear engineering artifacts: schematics, interface control docs, test procedures, software readmes, and troubleshooting guides.
• Collaborate with systems, software, and test teams to translate requirements into simulator capabilities and verification coverage.

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or closely related field.
• Minimum five (5) years of experience.
• Embedded programming experience in C/C++ on microcontrollers or embedded Linux (device bring‑up, drivers, peripherals, timing).
• Experience developing or integrating hardware + firmware systems, including board‑level interfaces and real‑world debugging.
• Comfort with common digital interfaces (SPI/I2C/UART/CAN/Ethernet) and using test equipment to validate signals and timing.
• Ability to work from requirements to implementation: scoping, designing, building, testing, and documenting.

• Experience with hardware‑in‑the‑loop (HIL), simulators, emulators, or automated test stands for complex systems.
• FPGA familiarity (even at an integration level), high‑speed interfaces, or mixed‑signal design (ADC/DAC selection, anti‑aliasing, clocking).
• Device driver development, kernel modules, or low‑level Linux performance/timing optimization.
• Familiarity with at least one embedded environment: bare‑metal, RTOS (e.g., FreeRTOS), or embedded Linux.
• Experience with networking and time synchronization concepts (PTP, NTP), data logging pipelines, or telemetry protocols.

• Citizenship: U.S. citizenship required
• Clearance:
  Active Secret required

• Languages:
  
  C/C++, Python, Bash
• Embedded: ARM Cortex-M/A, STM
  32/NXP/TI‑class MCUs (or similar), embedded Linux, RTOS
• Interfaces: SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, Ethernet, GPIO, ADC/DAC, PWM
• Lab: oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, protocol analyzers, power supplies, DAQs
• Workflow:
  Git, issue tracking, CI‑style testing for firmware/test utilities (where applicable)

i3 is a technically diverse, 100% team member owned business, headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama specializing in missile and aviation systems engineering and logistic services, electronic warfare and electromagnetic effects analysis, UAS system integration and flight operations, full lifecycle C5

ISR engineering services,…