Firmware Engineer (Contractor)

Tangent is Growing Our Firmware Engineering Bench

Tangent is a Calgary-based product development firm that solves complex engineering challenges across consumer electronics, industrial systems, and more. We are deeply technical, practical in our approach, and focused on building reliable products that perform in the real world, not just on a test bench.

The Opportunity

We are expanding our bench of i ndependent firmware engineering contractors for upcoming project-based work. This is not an employee role and it is not a full-time position. It is an opportunity for established independent contractors or consultants to partner with Tangent on defined projects as needs arise.

Engagements may range from targeted firmware development or troubleshooting support to ownership of a complete embedded software workstream.

We are looking for people who can step in quickly, understand unfamiliar hardware and technical requirements, work with a high degree of autonomy, and contribute meaningful technical value without extensive ramp-up.

The Kind of Work

Depending on the project, you may be engaged to:

• Develop and debug embedded firmware in C and C++
• Program and troubleshoot prototype electronics hardware
• Develop scripts using languages such as Python or MATLAB
• Work with communication protocols such as SPI, I2C, Bluetooth, cellular modems, CAN bus, and Modbus
• Support hardware bring-up, testing, measurement, and troubleshooting
• Review electrical schematics and work closely with electrical engineers to diagnose hardware and firmware issues
• Support hardware component selection, including microcontrollers, sensors, and communication technologies
• Participate in design reviews, code reviews, and technical problem solving
• Develop or support FPGA implementations using VHDL, Verilog, or SystemVerilog where required
• Create clear technical documentation and maintain code using GitHub or similar version-control tools
• Take ownership of a defined firmware feature, subsystem, or technical scope

Ideal Background

We are most interested in individuals who already operate as independent contractors, consultants, or incorporated engineering service providers.

You likely bring:

• Strong experience developing embedded firmware in C or C++
• Experience programming and debugging embedded systems
• Confidence working directly with hardware, including reading schematics and supporting board-level troubleshooting
• Experience working across both Windows and Linux environments
• Familiarity with common embedded communication protocols
• Experience in product development, product manufacturing, or the development of physical technology products
• The ability to test systematically, analyze technical problems, and work through issues using data and evidence
• Strong technical documentation and communication skills
• Experience collaborating with electrical, mechanical, software, and project teams

FPGA programming experience is considered an asset.

What Makes Someone a Fit

You are likely a strong fit if you:

• Already provide services as an independent contractor or consultant
• Can work independently and manage your own technical deliverables
• Are comfortable working on a project or scope basis rather than fixed ongoing hours
• Can plug into an existing multidisciplinary team and add value quickly
• Are comfortable moving between firmware, hardware, testing, and troubleshooting as the problem requires
• Have examples of embedded products, shipped products, complex debugging, or difficult technical problems you have personally helped solve
• Can explain what you owned, what went wrong, how you approached it, and what the final result was

What You’ll Gain

• Exposure to a wide variety of products, technologies, and industries
• Clearly scoped project opportunities
• The chance to work with a thoughtful, highly technical engineering team
• Opportunities to solve complex firmware and embedded systems problems
• The ability to contribute to real products that need to work reliably outside the lab

How to Reach Us

We are not looking for a formal application package. Send us:

• A short introduction
• A resume, project summary, portfolio, GitHub profile, or other relevant work sample
• A brief note on the kinds of firmware or embedded development work you typically take on as an independent contractor

We are particularly interested in real-world examples where you owned firmware development, solved a difficult hardware or embedded systems problem, or helped move a product from prototype toward a reliable, manufacturable solution.