# Ben Hefner > Staff Software Engineer at Stafl Systems Location: San Francisco Bay Area, United States Profile: https://flows.cv/benhefner I have a variety of experience in embedded, desktop, and network application design. I'm a professional hardware and software engineer, and have worked as an IT administrator and an electronics technician. My strong problem solving skills and intuitive nature enable me to adapt to a wide variety of tasks. I am most familiar with embedded C and with C# for desktop and web applications. I have developed calibration tools, tools for communicating over CAN, IDEs, test code, and a Windows CE-based scientific instrument in .NET. My hardware experience includes designing and bringing up 4-to-6 layer PCBs with fine pitch BGAs. ## Work Experience ### Staff Software Engineer @ Stafl Systems Jan 2023 – Present ### Senior Software Engineer @ Stafl Systems Jan 2022 – Jan 2023 ### Senior Software Engineer @ Curtis Instruments Jan 2018 – Jan 2022 | Livermore CA - Helped to build agile team for rewrite of CANopen tools in WPF using .NET 5. Served as technical lead on team, implementing core functionality, ensuring compliance to internal and external specifications, and reviewing nearly every change to ensure code quality. - Designed architecture and implementation plans for application including definition of backlog items and identification of parallel paths and shippable milestones. Communicated architecture through code, UML diagrams, and docs. Remotely pair programmed with Jr engineers to help them come up to speed and get productive. - Designed and implemented CANopen communications stack focusing on maintainability, extensibility, and logging to help debug issues in field. Achieved high degree of unit test coverage. - Initialized repository with rational structure for documentation, code, and unit tests. Configured team code cleanup rules, developed DevOps pipeline for CI and release builds. Pipelines included automatic deployment of docsite and application. - Developed code coverage tool to convert test coverage report from DotCover to a format compatible with Phabricator to provide coverage metrics in code reviews. - Introduced ticketing system which is now in use by all software and application engineers, and by product support group at Curtis CA to support customers and internal users in several locations around the world. - Worked with team to create wireframes and workflows and helped gather user feedback in organized discussions with end users. Helped create and perform live demos of applications during pre-release period. ### Software Engineer @ Curtis Instruments Jan 2016 – Jan 2017 | Livermore, CA Late addition to team developing CANopen WinForms (.NET Framework 4.x) application for programming and configuring Curtis motor controllers. Main contributions include: - Introduction of cloud services, including a licensing scheme, automatic application updates, crash reports and user feedback, - Development of administrator console for managing licenses, user feedback, and - Development of tool for formatting the display of vehicle parameters information published to cloud services for use by users of the application. - Training of users on the use of development tools and administrator console. - Writing and execution of validation plan Helped to modernize DevOps at Curtis - Worked with IT and senior management to specify and procure server hardware for use by software teams. Drafted policies for interfacing with IT, provisioning and naming virtual machines, and configuring builds with Jenkins. - Created common library for Jenkins pipelines using Jenkinsfile - Introduced unit test tools to organization and wrote first code with unit test coverage. Trained other users on unit testing. ### Continuation Engineer @ DICKEY-john Jan 2012 – Jan 2015 | Auburn, Il Main responsibilities include developing updates for existing products, developing and supporting test equipment in a manufacturing environment, and maintaining our documentation website. Also involved in peer-review process for hardware and software designs. Designed CAN-enabled force sensor for large farm implement, meeting customer's size requirements by working closely with manufacturing and mechanical engineers to ensure fit and manufacturability. Designed schematic, PCB, and all firmware for the sensor. Implemented HAL, driver, and application libraries for USB HID device on NXP LPC processor. Application code was used to program language and settings files to a handheld moisture tester and to serve as a test interface during final assembly. Developed software updates for an internationally-distributed, US Government-Certified grain analysis machine. Also responsible for improving and supporting software for creating calibrations, programming, and testing those machines on the production line. Helped to develop a simplified process for distributing and installing 2013 calibrations for the same machine. Designed and implemented intranet websites to display test data and project tracking information using both ASP.net forms and JavaScript libraries. Created web-facing API and accompanying C# library to provide access to the test database for out-of-network applications. Designed schematics and multi-layer PCBs with through-hole and surface mount components for circuit board assemblies. Helped to develop and support a modular 'universal' test platform for the sensors produced by DICKEY-john. ### Network Administrator @ Midwest Sound & Lighting Jan 2011 – Jan 2012 Managed a network of 30 computers in two locations with Microsoft Server 2008 R2. Became familiar with network structure and TCP/IP routing. Responsible for troubleshooting Active Directory and DNS issues, firewall configuration and maintaining general network operation. Responsible for managing PCI compliance and educating users on technology and security. ### Service Technician @ Midwest Sound & Lighting Jan 2008 – Jan 2012 Diagnosed and repaired several different types of audio and lighting gear, ranging from wireless microphones and power amplifiers to 50 channel mixing consoles. Became familiar with signal flow, design, and tuning of audio systems and the components which comprise them. Worked with small teams on the deployment of permanently installed sound systems in offices, auditoriums, large houses of worship, and theatres. Gained experience troubleshooting equipment using oscilloscope and sweep/function generator. ### Website Intern @ Performance Auto Group Jan 2006 – Jan 2008 Helped with software upgrades and basic IT tasks. Collected information about and photographed new and used vehicles, and entered the data into the website database. ## Education ### Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering University of Nebraska at Omaha ## Contact & Social - LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/gbhefner --- Source: https://flows.cv/benhefner JSON Resume: https://flows.cv/benhefner/resume.json Last updated: 2026-04-01