Lead Embedded Systems Software Engineer
AI Summary
Lead embedded software engineer responsible for translating product requirements into system software architecture, writing production firmware, and guiding a small team of embedded engineers from design to delivery.
About this role
We are looking for a Lead Embedded Software Engineer to own the full path from product requirements to working, tested firmware. You will translate product-level goals into system software architecture, write production code, and lead a team of embedded engineers to ship reliable, high-performance software.
This is a player-coach role. You will write code every day while also guiding the team, reviewing designs, and setting technical direction. You must be as comfortable at a whiteboard as you are at a debugger. You will report to the head of product engineering.
What you will do:
Architecture and Technical Leadership
• Translate product requirements into clear system-level software architecture.
• Define software interfaces, data flows, and module boundaries across the embedded stack.
• Make and own key technical decisions. Document them clearly for the team.
• Identify risks early and drive solutions before they become blockers.
Hands-on Development
• Write, review, and maintain production firmware in C/C++ (and Rust where applicable).
• Develop drivers, middleware, and application logic for sensor-rich embedded platforms.
• Work with Zephyr RTOS across multiple MCU families (STM32, Nordic nRF, ESP32).
• Use West and CMake to manage builds, module dependencies, and board configurations.
• Debug firmware using JTAG, SWD, logic analyzers, and oscilloscopes.
• Integrate and validate sensors including IMUs, accelerometers, and gyroscopes.
• Implement and optimize networking stacks - BLE, Thread, and Wi-Fi.
• Design and maintain backend communication protocols for reliable edge-to-cloud data transfer.
Test and Quality
• Write automated unit and integration tests before or alongside feature code.
• Build and maintain HIL (hardware-in-the-loop) and SIL (software-in-the-loop) test frameworks.
• Set team standards for test coverage, static analysis, and CI/CD pipelines.
• Perform code reviews with a focus on correctness, safety, and long-term maintainability.
Team Leadership
• Lead a small team of embedded engineers. Set clear goals and unblock day-to-day work.
• Mentor engineers through design reviews, pair programming, and direct feedback.
• Collaborate with hardware, systems, and product teams to align on requirements.
• Contribute to hiring - interview candidates and help define the team's technical bar.
What we are looking for:
Required
• 7+ years of embedded software development experience in production systems.
• Strong C/C++ skills in resource-constrained environments (bare-metal and RTOS).
• Hands-on experience with Zephyr RTOS, including West build system and CMake.
• Deep knowledge of at least one MCU family: STM32, Nordic nRF, or ESP32.
• Experience integrating and characterizing inertial sensors (IMU, accelerometer, gyroscope).
• Solid understanding of wireless protocols - BLE, Thread, and Wi-Fi - including their stack implementations.
• Experience designing and implementing backend communications (MQTT, CoAP, HTTP/REST, or similar).
• Strong skills in writing automated tests for embedded code: unit tests, mocking, HIL/SIL frameworks.
• Proficiency with hardware debug tooling: JTAG, SWD, logic analyzers, and oscilloscopes.
• Solid Git workflow practices: branching strategy, code review process, and CI/CD integration.
• Demonstrated ability to lead a technical team while remaining a hands-on contributor.
• Clear communicator. Able to explain complex technical decisions to non-specialist stakeholders.
Nice to Have
• Experience with Rust in embedded contexts.
• Familiarity with TinyML or edge ML frameworks (TFLite Micro, Edge Impulse, ONNX Runtime).
• Background in aerospace, satellite, or other safety-critical systems.
• Experience with model optimization techniques such as quantization and pruning.
• Contributions to open-source embedded or RTOS projects.
