Embedded Systems Engineer - Networking Specialist

About Urban Sky: 

Urban Sky is a venture-backed aerospace startup that pioneer utilization of the stratosphere and reimagines the way humans view and analyze the earth. We design, build, operate, and sell stratospheric balloon systems, and the data we collect supports a wide range of applications, from real-time wildfire monitoring to urban mapping. Our technology is also employed by government customers including the Department of Defense (DoD), NASA, and others. Urban Sky sends flight vehicles to the stratosphere on a weekly basis. 

Our team consists of engineers, makers, developers, and doers who believe in the power of human potential when passion meets utility within a small, supportive team. At Urban Sky we strive to create a team culture grounded in candor, inclusion, respect and empowerment. 

We aim to build the next chapter of stratospheric history in Denver and are seeking self-starting, open-minded, and hard-working team members. 

About The Role: 

Urban Sky is seeking an Embedded Systems Engineer to join our Engineering team in Denver, CO. In this role, you will be responsible for networking the stratosphere. You will play a critical part in maintaining the communications backbone that supports our growing fleet of balloons. This will involve everything from balloon to ground communications to balloon to balloon communication to intra-balloon communication. 

Key Responsibilities: 

• Design, develop, and maintain the embedded communications stack for Urban Sky’s stratospheric balloon systems. 

• Implement and optimize secure networking protocols for use in mission-critical data transmission. 

• Configure and debug real-time communication between hardware, sensors, and cloud systems. 

• Develop secure and efficient data transport layers leveraging protocols like RPC, TCP/IP, and WebSockets. 

• Optimize performance for bandwidth-constrained environments. 

• Integrate wireless communication systems (e.g., LoRa, cellular, satellite, MANET) into embedded platforms. 

• Conduct system validation and testing in lab and field environments. 

• Debug hardware-software communication using tools like oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and packet sniffers. 

• Work closely with cross-functional teams to ensure seamless integration of software and hardware systems. 

• Identify and implement innovative solutions to enhance system performance, reliability and security. 

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field. 

• 3+ years of experience in embedded systems development.  

• Expertise in implementing and debugging embedded networking protocols. 

• In-depth knowledge of networking protocols like TCP/IP, UDP, MQTT, and LoRaWAN. 

• Proficiency in C/C++, with experience in Go, Python or Rust. 

• Hands-on experience with microcontrollers (e.g., ARM Cortex-M) and RTOS environments (e.g., FreeRTOS, Zephyr). 

• Familiarity with hardware interfaces like UART, SPI, I2C, and Ethernet. 

• Proficiency with JTAG, logic analyzers, and packet capture tools like Wireshark and Postman. 

• Experience with cellular, satellite, or LoRa communication technologies. 

Nice-to-Haves/Preferred Skills: 

• Familiarity with secure communication methods and protocols (e.g., TLS, DTLS, Zero Trust). 

• Familiarity with structured data serialization (e.g. protobuf, JSON) 

• Experience with edge computing or IoT systems. 

• Familiarity with Linux-based embedded systems and networking 

Requirements: 

• Must be US Citizen or Permanent Resident 

• Must be located near Denver, CO 
   

Benefits: 

• Salary $155,000 - $175,000 per year  
  • We are required to post this salary range per Colorado law. Your salary will be determined based on your abilities and experience. 

• Stock Options 

• Medical, Vision and Dental 

• Unlimited Vacation Days 

• Cell Phone Bill Stipend 

NOTE: Research suggests that women and BIPOC individuals may self-select out of opportunities if they don’t meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage anyone who believes that they have the skills and the passion necessary to succeed here to apply for this role. 

This position may require the candidate to deal with commodities, software, technology, defense articles, and/or technical data which are subject to the Export Administration Regulations and/or the International Traffic in Arms Regulations. Additional information may be requested so as to determine whether export authorization is required from the Bureau of Industry and Security and/or the Directorate of Defense Trade Controls. If authorization is required, employment will be contingent upon the Company successfully obtaining such authorization from the relevant government agency. 

Urban Sky is an equal opportunity employer, and we value diversity. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.