Build a career powered by innovations that matter! At Novanta, our innovations power technology products that are transforming healthcare and advanced manufacturing—improving productivity, enhancing people’s lives and redefining what’s possible. We create for our global customers engineered components and sub-systems that deliver extreme precision and performance for a range of mission-critical applications—from minimally invasive surgery to robotics to 3D metal printing.
Novanta is one global team with over 26 offices located in The Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific. Looking for a great place to work? You have found it with a culture that embraces teamwork, collaboration and empowerment. Come explore Novanta.
Firmware Engineer
Location: Foxton, Cambridgeshire
Business Unit: Novanta, Robotics and Automation
You will develop firmware and software for inductive encoder systems used in advanced industrial and robotics applications. You will work with STM32 microcontrollers, create real‑time algorithms and support the full lifecycle of embedded development. This role sits within the Inductive team in Cambridge, with projects that extend across the wider technology group.
What you will do:• Design and implement embedded firmware in C and C++ for STM32 microcontrollers.
• Develop real‑time algorithms for inductive sensing and position feedback.
• Optimise code for performance, memory usage and power efficiency.
• Implement communication interfaces such as SPI, UART, CAN and Ethernet.
• Work closely with hardware engineers to integrate firmware with inductive sensor electronics.
• Carry out unit testing, debugging and system validation.
• Support EMC compliance activities and functional safety requirements.
• Produce clear technical documentation for firmware, software and system architecture.
• Follow ISO 9001 and relevant industry standards.
• Strong embedded C and C++ experience, including STM32 and ARM Cortex‑M.
• Understanding of STM32 HAL or LL drivers.
• Experience of bare-metal work
• Familiarity with inductive sensing and basic signal processing.
• Hands‑on experience with debugging tools such as JTAG or SWD, oscilloscopes and logic analysers.
• Knowledge of communication protocols and industrial interfaces.
• Ability to develop simple PC applications for configuration or data analysis.
• Experience with Git and collaborative development workflows.
• Experience building products for harsh or demanding environments.
• Understanding of EMC and safety standards.
• Practical soldering skills.
• Experience with firmware or hardware version control systems.
• Mathcad experience.
• Knowledge of Atlassian tools (JIRA, Confluence).
• Additional languages.
Novanta is proud to be an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action workplace. We consider all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, military and veteran status, disability, genetics, or any other category protected by federal law or Novanta policy.
Please call +1 781-266-5700 if you need a disability accommodation for any part of the employment process.
Top Skills
What We Do
Novanta delivers innovations that matter for its medical and advanced industrial OEM customers. If you have a passion for solving complex technical problems that lead to breakthrough performance and that enhance people's lives, come join our growing team. Here is a sample of the many exciting applications we serve: • Innovations that ensure the safety of patients and efficient workflows in hospitals using our novel RFID technology • Innovations in additive manufacturing, also known as 3-D metal printing, using our lightning fast lasers and laser beam steering sub-systems • Innovations in minimally invasive surgery using our highly reliable insufflators, pumps and visualization systems • Innovations in robotics and automation using our precision motors, encoders and drives for superior accuracy • Innovations in smartphone production using our fast, accurate lasers and laser beam steering equipment along with our precision motion systems The driving force behind our growth is the team of talented professionals who share our commitment to our values, and our passion for innovation and for our customers’ success. Novanta has deep expertise in precision medicine and manufacturing, medical solutions, and robotics and automation: Precision Medicine and Manufacturing: • Continuous wave, ultrafast and CO2 lasers, along with laser beam steering components and sub-systems Brands: ARGES, Cambridge Technology, Laser Quantum, Synrad Medical Solutions: Minimally Invasive Surgery: • Insufflators, pumps and disposable tube sets; medical visualization systems, video processing and wireless imaging Brands: NDS, Med X Change, Reach Technology, WOM Detection & Analysis: • RFID readers, machine vision solutions, barcode scanning, light and color measurement Brands: JADAK Robotics and Automation: • Motors, encoders, servo drives, air bearing systems and integrated mechatronic solutions Brands: ATI, Celera Motion (inc. Applimotion, Ingenia, MicroE, Zettlex, Westwind)
