Embedded Systems / Firmware Engineer at Nocturnal Inc.
Cambridge
$110,000–$170,000
Jul 28, 2026
Cambridge
Jul 29, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
A hands-on embedded systems engineering role at a Cambridge, MA sleep-tech startup, responsible for the full hardware–firmware stack on a wearable device. Day-to-day work spans schematic and PCB design, sensor integration, low-power firmware development for Nordic and STM32 microcontrollers, BLE optimization, and supporting the path from prototype to manufacturing readiness.
Senior level · 4+ years · Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH
“or” means any one of them counts — you don't need all of them.
We read this from the posting text with AI. Skim the description below before ruling yourself out.
How this req sits in the market our data
Roughly 60 people in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH area plausibly meet what this posting asks for (software developers). range 10–130
Applicant volume Moderate — A normal amount of company. The rare requirements below are what will separate a shortlisted application from the rest.
Rare in this occupation — lead with these, and say what you built with them.
What the occupation pays Median $169,742 (middle half $134,780–$187,781).
Estimated from BLS employment for this occupation and area, per-skill prevalence across our listing corpus, and published wage benchmarks — as of Jul 29, 2026. It is a model, not a headcount.
Why we read it this way (7)
The posting offers both 'competitive salary / contract rate + equity (for full-time)', suggesting the role may be filled as either full-time or contract; employment type is left as Unspecified since no single engagement type is confirmed.
nRF and STM32 are listed as 'and/or' in the requirements — either platform satisfies the gate; both are captured with each other as an alternative.
Embedded C and C++ are listed together as a single proficiency requirement; both are captured as required with each other as an alternative.
JTAG and SWD are listed together as a single debugger requirement; both are captured with each other as an alternative.
Sensor types (IMU, PPG, temperature) appear in the responsibilities narrative rather than the requirements block and are captured as preferred.
The alt SOC 15-1299 (Computer Occupations, All Other) is noted because embedded/firmware engineering sits at the hardware–software boundary and does not map perfectly to the standard Software Developers code, though 15-1252 is the closest available match.
Ignored 2 non-technology phrase(s) as skills (responsibilities/concepts, not named tools): PCB design, low-power design.
Read the full posting
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