Staff Engineer, Firmware

Company Overview

Enphase Energy is a pioneering global energy technology firm specializing in solar, battery, and electric vehicle charging products. Founded in 2006, the company revolutionized the solar industry through its microinverter technology, providing safe, reliable, and scalable energy solutions. With around 68 million products deployed in over 145 countries, Enphase supports users in generating, utilizing, saving, and selling their own power. As one of the fastest-growing clean energy companies, Enphase is driven by innovation and sustainability.

Role Overview

We are looking for a motivated Staff Firmware Engineer to join our dynamic Research and Development team based in Middleton, Christchurch. This role involves the design, enhancement, and testing of cutting-edge power converter and energy storage products.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and develop embedded software tailored for real-time control and operation.
• Simulate innovative algorithms managing autonomous microgrid power flows.
• Create unit and system-level test software to validate implementations.
• Verify algorithms through system simulation tools.
• Collaborate closely with hardware engineers to test and debug prototype designs.
• Perform thorough firmware testing to ensure quality and reliability.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical, Mechatronic, Computing, or related fields.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in firmware engineering.

Technical Skills and Expertise

• Proficiency in developing real-time applications using C++, C, and Assembly.
• Strong understanding of digital signal processing (DSP) principles within microprocessor environments.
• Capability to assess CPU versus hardware processing trade-offs for cost-efficient designs.
• Excellent troubleshooting skills for firmware issues in complex systems.
• Competence in testing code and hardware using equipment such as oscilloscopes and power meters.
• Familiarity with software development methodologies like Agile, structured programming, and object-oriented programming.
• Experience with development tools including GCC, GDB, Eclipse, and GNU Make.
• Knowledge of source code management systems such as GIT and Mercurial.
• Ability to manage design tasks from concept through to implementation and documentation.

Preferred Attributes

• Experience implementing systems compliant with JEM1498 or similar Japanese standards.
• Proven track record in R&D environments.
• Exposure to embedded software drivers and interrupt service routines.
• Background in power electronics and solar inverter technologies.
• Familiarity with 32-bit ARM and 8-bit 8051 processors.
• Understanding of standards such as UL1741 and IEEE1547 related to solar energy.
• Experience automating test scripts using Python.

Team and Location

The Christchurch office is a dedicated R&D center focusing on Microinverter design and testing, employing over 130 engineers and support personnel.

Employee Benefits

• Equity participation as part of total compensation.
• Bonus schemes.
• Health and insurance coverage for employees and their families.
• Annual appraisals and performance reviews.
• Opportunities for professional development and career advancement.
• Access to a modern laboratory and well-equipped facilities.

Additional Information and Eligibility

This position requires candidates to hold New Zealand permanent residency or citizenship due to visa conditions.