Senior or Principal Embedded Firmware Engineer

Job Overview

We are seeking a Senior or Principal Embedded Firmware Engineer to own firmware architecture across CRC’s embedded product portfolio. Level will be determined based on demonstrated architectural ownership and technical leadership experience.

This role serves as the primary firmware authority for current and next-generation embedded products, defining standards, structure, and development practices across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

Firmware & System Architecture

• Own firmware architecture across multiple embedded product lines, including legacy and new platforms
• Define and document system-level architecture, interfaces, and design assumptions
• Establish firmware patterns, structure, and standards used across the team
• Lead board bring-up for microcontroller and embedded platforms
• Develop high-reliability embedded C/C++ firmware for real-time control, sensor processing, and communications
• Support both bare-metal and OS-based systems (e.g., FreeRTOS, Embedded Linux)
• Collaborate closely with hardware engineering during schematic review, bring-up, and integration
• Debug complex system-level issues using scopes, logic analyzers, and protocol analysis tools

Technical Leadership & Project Ownership

• Serve as CRC’s primary technical authority for firmware design decisions and tradeoffs
• Lead firmware development from concept through production and sustainment
• Mentor and review the work of junior and mid-level engineers
• Drive disciplined code review, release, and configuration control practices
• Own and evolve the embedded software development lifecycle (SDLC)
• Work cross-functionally with hardware, systems, manufacturing, and quality teams

Manufacturing & Lifecycle Support

• Develop production programming tools, diagnostics, and test utilities
• Support sustaining engineering, field investigations, and root-cause analysis
• Contribute to verification, validation, and product launch readiness
• Improve firmware reliability and maintainability across product lifecycles

Required Skills & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Engineering, Software Engineering, Computer Science, or similar
• 6+ years of embedded firmware development experience across multiple product cycles
• Demonstrated ownership of embedded system architecture and technical direction
• Expert-level proficiency in embedded C/C++
• Strong understanding of microcontroller architecture, timing, memory, and interrupts
• Hands-on experience with embedded communication protocols (I2C, SPI, UART, RS-485)
• Skilled with embedded debugging tools and lab equipment
• Comfortable with hands-on lab work (probing, soldering, test setups)

Nice to Haves

• STM32 or similar MCU platforms
• Embedded Linux or custom Linux distribution experience
• RTOS scheduling and deterministic system design
• HVAC controls or industrial automation experience
• BACnet or building automation protocols
• Touchscreen UI development (Qt/QML)
• Lightweight embedded storage (e.g., SQLite)
• Experience improving internal development processes or SDLC