Principal Embedded Software Engineer

AEY & Associates; Sydney; On-site; AUD 180,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

AEY & Associates in Sydney seeks a Principal Embedded Software Engineer to own a complex real-time embedded platform, shaping architecture across FreeRTOS and Linux. You’ll guide decisions and collaborate across software, electronics, controls, and test teams.

This senior role blends hands-on development with strategic design, requiring deep C/C++ expertise, RTOS mastery, and a track record of delivering embedded products from development to production in safety-conscious or high-performance

Qualifications

• Senior/Staff/Principal level embedded software experience required.
• Strong C/C++ for real-time embedded systems.
• Experience with RTOS, interrupts, scheduling, and synchronization.
• Proven ability to take products from development to production.

Responsibilities

• Define and evolve embedded software architecture across FreeRTOS and Linux.
• Develop hard real-time C/C++ software for deterministic processing.
• Build and tune embedded Linux systems for time-sensitive apps.
• Develop device drivers, BSPs, and low-level interfaces.
• Support hardware bring-up, debugging, testing, and qualification activities.
• Lead architecture and design reviews.
• Mentor engineers and establish software engineering standards.
• Collaborate with hardware, sensors, and control teams.

Skills

Embedded software engineering

Real-time systems

C/C++

RTOS concepts

Embedded Linux

Software architecture

Device drivers / BSPs

Job description

A leading Australian technology company is seeking a Principal Embedded Software Engineer to own a complex real-time embedded platform.

This senior role combines architecture with hands-on engineering. You’ll define how software is structured across hard real-time and embedded Linux environments, guide technical decisions, and work closely with engineers across software, electronics, systems, controls, and test.

What You’ll Be Doing

• Define and evolve embedded software architecture across FreeRTOS and Linux
• Develop hard real-time C/C++ software for deterministic processing and control
• Build and tune embedded Linux systems for time-sensitive applications
• Develop device drivers, BSPs, hardware abstraction layers, and low-level interfaces
• Support sensor, actuator, camera, and FPGA-connected hardware integration
• Lead architecture and design reviews
• Mentor engineers and help establish strong software engineering standards
• Support hardware bring-up, debugging, automated testing, and qualification activities

What You’ll Bring

• Extensive embedded software engineering experience at Senior, Staff, Principal, or Architect level
• Deep C/C++ experience in real-time embedded systems
• Strong understanding of RTOS concepts, interrupts, scheduling, and synchronisation
• Embedded Linux development and debugging experience
• Strong software architecture and system design capabilityExperience with device drivers, BSPs, and low-level hardware interfaces
• Proven experience taking embedded products from development through to production

Highly Regarded

• FreeRTOS
• ARM-based SoCs such as Xilinx Zynq
• IMUs, encoders, cameras, or actuator systems
• FPGA interfacing
• HWIL / SWIL testing
• Aerospace, robotics, autonomous systems, or other safety-critical environments

Why Apply?

• Principal-level technical ownership without giving up hands-on engineering
• Work across software, hardware, sensors, and control systems
• Influence architecture and engineering standards across a highly technical team