Working Student Electronics Engineer (Hennigsdorf near Berlin) Hybrid

Position: Electronics Engineer (Embedded Systems & IoT) - Working Student

Location: Hennigsdorf, Germany (Hybrid) 

Type: 20h per week

About Betterguards:

Betterguards is on a mission to help athletes and active individuals protect their joints and perform at their best. Our products combine science-backed design with innovative materials — trusted by athletes at all levels, from NBA, NFL, DBB, DHB, MLS and many more. Betterguards is on a mission to help athletes and active individuals protect their joints and perform at their best. Our products combine science-backed design with innovative materials — trusted by athletes at all levels, from NBA, NFL, DBB, DHB, MLS and many more.

At the same time, we are expanding into smart performance solutions, combining our technology with data and digital applications to further enhance protection, movement, and performance.

Our vision is to merge injury prevention, real-time feedback, and performance optimization into one seamless athlete experience.

About the Role 

We are seeking a hands-on Electronics Engineer to design, prototype, and develop embedded systems for connected IoT products. This role spans firmware, hardware, and system-level engineering—from early breadboard prototypes to custom PCB designs. 

Arduino may be used as a rapid prototyping platform, but production development will rely on lower-level embedded systems such as the Nordic Semiconductor SoCs (nRF52 / nRF53 / nRF70 series) and custom firmware, so strong fundamentals in electrical engineering and embedded C are essential. 

Required Qualifications 

General 

• Bachelor or Master Studies in Electrical Engineering (or equivalent practical experience). 
• Hands-on experience with 2–4-layer PCB design and RTOS-based firmware development (e.g., Zephyr) is required. 
• Proficiency with Git for hardware and firmware version control (branching, reviews, collaboration)  
• Comfortable working with distributed teams and async communication 

Hardware 

• Hands-on experience breadboarding and wiring circuits; proficient in hand soldering and surface-mount soldering.  
• Ability to design custom hardware, primary software is Autodesk Fusion 360 Eagle 
• Schematic capture and PCB layout 
• Creating new component libraries with its footprint and 3D part 
• Should be able to optimize PCB size and use advanced routing techniques such as 4 layered board, bussing, pours, vias, and wiring routes at fine-pitch (≤5 mil or ≤0.127 mm preferred). 
• Candidates should be able to build a toolchain to flash firmware on custom boards using programming devices such as JTAG 
• Preferred chipsets are the Nordic nRF52 / nRF53 / nRF70 series 
• Experience with battery-powered systems, including: 
• LDOs vs DC/DC converters 
• Battery protection and charging circuits 
• Understanding of sleep states, wake sources, and power domains  

Firmware 

• Advanced embedded C proficiency, including: 
• Memory allocation and pointer manipulation 
• Writing custom libraries and low-level drivers  
• Direct register-level hardware access and register manipulations for peripherals such as I2C and SPI sensors, GPIOs, ADCs, USB, and BLE controllers. 
• Proficiency in RTOS, primarily Zephyr, in developing real-time task driven code that controls for timing, communication, power, and sensor readings.  
• Familiarity with wired and wireless communication protocols and creating C drivers to interact with them, particularly: 
• Programming & Debug: SWD, JTAG, RTT 
• Wired: I2C, SPI, USB, UART 
• Wireless: Bluetooth (GAP/GATT) 
• System: Multiplexers, ADCs, GPIO, Timers 
• Familiarity with bootloaders (e.g., MCUBoot) and DFU via wired and OTA methods 
• Experience optimizing embedded systems for performance and precise timing requirements such as sensor reading and Bluetooth communication. 
• Experience optimizing for lower-power applications where devices should operate on >24hr battery lives, techniques include optimizing threads and timers and strategic sleep routines for sensors and peripherals 

Debugging 

• Experience using logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, and multimeters for hardware/firmware debugging. 
• Debugging I2C/SPI/BLE issues at the signal and protocol level 
• Experience diagnosing power, timing, and signal-integrity issues 

What You’ll Do 

• You will be the point-of-contact for the electronic design of Betterguards’ SMART project at their German HQ in Hennigsdorf. 
• You will work on site to use the company's tooling room and test benches as well as remotely and directly with the CTO in New York, USA. Your collaboration will entail: 
• Decisions and guidance around electronic design, hardware reviews, firmware code review, and overall technical support 
• Project timeline and objective planning 
• Providing you with a supportive learning experience and mentorship 
• You will collaborate with firmware, hardware, and product teams to deliver a manufacturing-ready product in 2027.